The York University Lions men's volleyball team was narrowly defeated by the Ryerson Rams in a thrilling five-set contest on Saturday (Nov. 15) at Tait McKenzie Centre.
 
Both teams provided a tight competition for each other. The Rams recorded two wins in the first two sets at 25-20 and 26-24. Refusing to back down, the Lions won the next two sets at 25-20 and 25-22. The Lions displayed an unwavering attitude until the last set that eventually ended with the Rams winning 16-14.
 
The Rams took an early lead at the first set with brilliant plays. At the first timeout, the scoreline read 6-2 in favour of the visiting team.
 
Ray Szeto (Sutton, Ont.) kept the Lions alive with crucial digs. The Rams Lucas Coleman aided the opposition by repeatedly overhitting his serves.
 
Accurate spikes by the home team helped tighten the margin. The Lions eventually tied the game for the first time in the set at 17-17. However, a series of errors by the team squandered the scoring streak as the opposition came out the first set winners.
 
The Rams started strong in the second set with perfect set-ups for the spikes. At the first timeout of the set, the Rams were dominating at 10-3. The Lions had trouble defending their spaces.
 
Szeto stepped up to lead the team's attack with spikes that rooted the opponents. Eventually, the Lions were able to catch up at 15-20.
 
An intense rally ended in the Lions scoring at 21-23. Alexander Duncan-Thibault (Scarborough, Ont.) aided in the defence.
 
Szeto's block extended the set into a deuce. However, Ryerson's Robert Wojcik's serve won the set.
 
The Lions took an early lead before the Rams called a timeout at 4-0. The scoring went back and forth until the next timeout, in which the Lions were leading 11-9.
 
The Rams revamped the squad with a simultaneous substitution of three players. Despite the constant changes in the line-up, the Rams were unable to hold off the Lions in the third set.
 
Josh Henderson (Scarborough, Ont.) starred in the fourth set with accurate hits towards the opponents' court. The game remained tight at 9-9.
 
The Lions saw an appeal for out-of-bounds denied with a yellow card awarded to the team. Soon after the incident, Henderson unleashed a thundering spike that felled the Rams' Adam Anagnostopoulos at 15-14.
 
Nikola Sandic (Etobicoke, Ont.) provided perfect assists for Duncan-Thibault to kill. Sandic eventually ended the game with an impressive tally of 49 assists.
 
Arthur Swarcsz (Toronto) subbed in at the last minute to score the set-winning spike.
 
The Lions came close to a dramatic comeback victory in the tie-breaking set as they snatched the lead again at 4-1 before the first timeout. Unfortunate errors by the team tightened the scoreline for the remaining moments.
 
The Rams led with a match-point that was eventually deuced by the Lions at the next timeout. The Rams stamped their victory with a serve that grazed the net and into the opponents' court.

Szeto recorded 16 kills, one ace and two blocks. Ryerson's Lucas Coleman achieved 21 kills, two aces and a block.
 
The Lions will be facing the Toronto Varsity Blues in Tait McKenzie Centre on Sunday (Nov. 16) at 4pm.