By Amit Shilton
That’s more like it.
The Ryerson Rams men’s volleyball team enjoyed their holiday weekend after taking care of the McMaster University Marauders 3-0 (30-28, 25-20, 25-20) in the finals of the McMaster University Invitational last Saturday.
The Rams walked into Hamilton last weekend after dropping the finals of their home tournament in a disappointing match.
But with a ton of pressure on their shoulders, they showed that they still have what it takes to bat some of Ontario’s best teams.
The squad put together an energetic and technically sound performance last weekend, beating last season’s OUA champion Queen’s University Golden Gaels en route to the finals.
For the first time this season, the team seemed to have a good sense of communication between them. They were able to execute on not only the offensive, but also on the defensive side of the net.
Head coach Mirek Porosa was impressed with the way his team was able to bounce back on the road.
“Every time you’re winning on the road, it’s a bonus,” Porosa said. “By far we were the best.”
In the finals the Rams were able to get off to a quick start, an element that was lacking in the team’s previous games. The squad fought hard and rallied to take the first set of the finals, setting the game’s pace early on.
“It really sets the tone, gives us a psychological advantage,” Porosa said.
Oleh Kovalcguk was named to the tournament’s All-Star team and Ryan Vandenburg won MVP honours, but Porosa said the win was a team effort.
Coming up on the Rams’ schedule is a tournament at the University of Manitoba where they will square off against several of Canada’s top squads and compete for early rankings. The Rams are sure to turn some heads at the tournament if they keep up this dominant level of play.
The Rams begin their season at Waterloo on October 27 and play their home opener on November 3 against Western University.
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