The York University Lions men's volleyball team returns to the court for the first time in 2020 with a pair of games against the Waterloo Warriors and Guelph Gryphons at the Tait McKenzie Centre.
The Match-up: York (4-4) vs. Waterloo (1-7) and Guelph (6-3)
Game Details
Waterloo – Saturday, Jan. 11 @ 3pm, OUA.tv
Guelph – Sunday, Jan 12 @ 3pm, OUA.tv
Home/Away Records
York – 3-2 at home
Waterloo – 0-4 on the road
Guelph – 2-1 on the road
Current Streak
York – Won 1
Waterloo – Lost 3
Guelph – Won 1
Last Meetings
The Warriors emerged with a five-set victory over the Lions last year, coming back from a set down to win 15-7 in the fifth. The Lions won three straight regular-season matches before last year. The two teams also have some recent playoff history: In 2017 Waterloo upset York in the quarter-finals and in 2015 the two teams played twice in the post-season, with the Warriors winning the OUA semifinal and the Lions taking the U SPORTS consolation semifinal.
The Gryphons won the lone head-to-head match-up last year, taking it in four sets. The Lions won the first set 26-24 but then dropped the next three in the loss. Prior to that match, the Lions had won three straight over the Gryphons. The two teams also faced off in the pre-season at the Ryerson Invitational Tournament, with Guelph winning in straight sets.
QUICK FACTS
York
- The Lions closed out 2019 at home with a 3-0 victory over the RMC Paladins to go .500 through the first half of the season.
- Hitting an impressive .465 on 71 total attacks, the Lions recorded 43 kills in three sets.
- Risk has been reward for the Lions, who lead the OUA and are second in U SPORTS in service aces per set with 2.41.
- The Lions are the fifth most productive offence in the OUA with 14.2 points per set.
Waterloo
- The Warriors picked up their second and third straight losses after falling to the Brock Badgers 3-1 followed by a loss to the McMaster Marauders 3-0 on the road. Their lone win of the year came in five sets over the Windsor Lancers.
- Errors have been detrimental to the side that has yet to win a road game, ranking third in the OUA with 160 errors in eight matches.
- On the defensive end, the Warriors have been able to deter attacks ranking sixth in the OUA in blocks per set with 1.88.
- After their match against the Lions, the Warriors will make the trip to North Bay, Ont., to take on the Nipissing Lakers the following day.
Guelph
- The Gryphons ended their fall schedule with a 3-2 victory over the Lancers to end a three-game losing skid. Prior to the slide, the Gryphons had won five in a row to start the year.
- Featuring the league's most potent offence, the Gryphons have averaged an OUA best 11.44 kills per set.
- Equally excellent in defensive plays, the Gryphons are second in blocks per set with 2.22 and total digs with 302 in nine matches.
- The Gryphons will take on the Nipissing Lakers on the road in North Bay, Ont., before making their way down to the Tait McKenzie Centre a day later.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
York
OH
Andrew Tauhid – A 2019 OUA East second-team all-star, he ranked second in the OUA and fifth in U SPORTS in service aces per set with 0.59. He is second on the team and 20
th in the OUA with 2.9 points per set.
OH
Aleksander Grzegorczyk – Recorded nine kills on a .538 hitting percentage against RMC in their most recent contest. He leads the team and is ranked 15
th in the OUA in hitting percentage with .200.
Waterloo
MB Matthew Mawdsley – The 2019 OUA West second-team all-star is ranked ninth in the OUA in blocks per set with 0.73. He is tied for fifth in team scoring with 1.9 points per set.
MH Isaac Nesbitt – Recorded four solo blocks in the loss against McMaster. He has nine solo blocks on the season ranking him fourth in the OUA and he is tied for fifth in team scoring with 1.9 points per set.
Guelph
LS Zarko Ubiparip – Rnaks fourth in the OUA with 3.7 points per set. He is also fourth in kills per set (3.3).
LB Ben Kissack – Leads the OUA and is ranked fourth in the country in total digs with 85. He recorded 20 digs in the win against Windsor.
