By Evan Manning
A little bit of rest goes a long way.
Nearly nine days after their last game, a tough loss to McMaster, the Ryerson men’s volleyball team (7-3) came out focused in a strong win against the Western Mustangs.
The 3-1 win (25-14, 23-25, 25-12, 25-14) puts the Rams into a tie with Guelph for second place in the Ontario University Athletics men’s volleyball standings.
The Rams were led yet again by their star trio of Robert Wojcik, Lucas Coleman and Alex Dawson. They finished the game with 14, 13 and 13 kills, respectively, while also combining for 17 of the team’s 25 digs.
“We did a really good job of just keeping level headed,” said Wojcik after the game. “There were a lot of calls not in our favour, but we did a good job of just playing our game.”
The first set would set the pace for the Rams, as separate 5-0 and 9-4 runs helped them jump out to a 23-14 lead. A strong kill from Coleman (just one of many from the night) ended off the set and provided Ryerson with momentum.
The lone blip for the Rams came during the second set. Both teams failed to capitalize on opportunities, and no team ever led by more than two points. After a long back and forth, the Mustangs grabbed it 25-23.
It was all they would get.
The Rams came out in the third with a fire lit under them. The crowd at the Mattamy Athletic Centre went nuts after a wild point in which Wojcik dove to save the ball with his fingertips, got back up, and emphatically spiked it to go up 9-6. After a 9-1 run late, the Rams took the third 25-12.
By the fourth set, the Mustangs were gassed. A pair of 6-0 runs by Ryerson ended the game and gave the Rams the victory.
Tomorrow they play the second game of a back-to-back, when they host the Windsor Lancers at home.
“If we play with the same great intensity as we did tonight, we should come away with another win,” said head coach Mirek Porosa.
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