By Shi Davidi
The men’s volleyball team have been eliminated from the playoffs, dropping a sudden death match 3-0 to the Laurentian Voyageurs.
The Rams looked lifeless for most of the match, playing sloppy and disorganized volleyball last Saturday at Ryerson. Their problems were compounded by the loss of their best middle player, Ryan Carpenter, who couldn’t play because of the flu.
“It’s frustrating, it’s disappointing,” said Tams coach Mirek Porosa. “We followed them, we never played our system. Without Ryan we were a totally different team with a different look. We weren’t there.”
The teams went into the season’s final game tied for the fourth and final playoff spot in the OUA East. The winner of the match would advance to the playoffs.
The Ram looked strong early in the game, building a 12-8 lead on defence and error-free volleyball. But following a questionable out call by the referee, the Rams lost their composure and dropped the match 15-12.
“We had them in the first game but we missed a key serve, made a couple of mistakes and let them have it,” said setter David Wakayama.
“I don’t know what the hell it was. I don’t have an explanation,” said rookie setter Mike Chumbley, who set and played middle in Carpenter’s absence.
Laurentian’s momentum carried into the second game, where they demolished the Ram 15-2.
With a playoff spot on the line, the Rams appeared more intense early in the third game, building a 3-0 advantage. But Laurentian fought their way back to take the game 15-2.
Although the Rams will miss the playoffs for the first time in three years, Porosa is happy with his team’s performance throughout the season. He will aim to recruit a couple of middles with size in the offseason. The Rams finished the regular season with a 1-11 league record.
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