Gryphon men top Toronto to clinch playoff berth
GUELPH – The Guelph Gryphons remained unbeaten in 2024 as they ran their OUA men’s volleyball win streak to five matches with a 3-1 victory over the Toronto Varsity Blues Friday at the Guelph Gryphons Athletics Centre.
The Gryphs won 25-19, 20-25, 25-20, 25-18 for their second win over Toronto this year. They swept the Varsity Blues 3-0 Jan. 4 at the GGAC.
Friday, Jonathan Pickett had 19 kills and eight digs for the Gryphs while Alexander Odle had 15 kills, two blocks and five digs and Jacob Bailey had nine kills, two blocks and four digs. Cameron Chadwick had seven kills, two blocks and nine digs while Thomas Pugsley had six kills, two blocks, 10 digs and 51 assists, Joshua Glasbergen had four kills and two blocks and Daniel Pickett had eight digs.
Michael Hickey had two aces, three blocks, eight digs and 36 assists for Toronto while Hunter Arulpragasam had 20 kills and two aces, Lukas Humle had three blocks and Jayden Talsma had eight digs.
The Gryphs had 60 kills, eight blocks, 51 assists, 45 digs and a .377 kill percentage while Toronto had 45 kills, five aces, five blocks, 40 assists, 36 digs and a .183 kill percentage.
Guelph lead the OUA at 12-2 while the Brock Badgers and McMaster Marauders are both at 10-3. Queen’s Gaels, Western Mustangs and Windsor Lancers are all at 8-3 while the Waterloo Warriors are at 8-6, Toronto is at 6-5, Toronto Metropolitan Bold are at 4-8, Nipissing Lakers and York Lions are both at 2-10, Trent Excalibur are at 1-10 and RMC Paladins are at 0-13.
Friday’s win clinched a playoff berth for the ninth-ranked Gryphs who have six matches remaining in their regular season. They can finish no lower than ninth and top nine in the 13-team league qualify for postseason play with eighth and ninth meeting in the lone preliminary-round match. The winner of that match gets to play the first-place team in the quarter-finals three days later.
Next up for the Gryphs is a pair of matches at the GGAC against Windsor next weekend. They’re to play Friday at 8 p.m. and Saturday at 6 p.m.
- Guelph Sports Journal