The York University Lions men's volleyball team faced off against the RMC Paladins Saturday afternoon in the second of their two-game series to conclude the 2025 portion of the schedule. After a strong win against RMC on Friday night, the Lions were sitting at 5-4 on the season and looking for another victory to finish off 2025 strong.

The first featured a lot of back-and-forth action in a competitive set. 14 kills ultimately steered the Lions to victory, however, with Alexandru Ignat and Colby Soolsma contributing early. York closed out a tight 25-23 set to go up 1-0 in the match.

The Lions were dominant in the second, collectively amassing a .640 hitting percentage in the set. York controlled a much easier set, winning 25-17 to go up 2-0.

In a tight third set, RMC was able to gain some momentum. York also struggled in the attack game compared to the previous sets. The Paladins ended up edging out the Lions 25-23 to put the match at 2-1. 

York regained control in the fourth, as rookie middle Simon Oberbuchner became the third Lion alongside Soolsma and Ignat to reach double-digit kills with 11, while Soolsma and Ignat had 16 and 12, respectively. Anders Say also hit double-digit digs on defence with 10. The Lions pressure proved to be too much for the Paladins, taking the final set 25-21 and the match 3-1.

LOOKING AHEAD:

The Lions will return in 2026 in the Border City against the Windsor Lancers on Friday, January 9th. The match is scheduled for 8:00 pm, with coverage on OUA TV.