BLUES DOWN LIONS IN BOUNCE BACK WIN

Box Score

The University of Toronto Varsity Blues men’s volleyball team traveled to the Tait McKenzie Centre in Toronto, Ont. on Saturday, Jan. 18, to face the York Lions. The Blues put on a commanding performance, emerging victorious in straight sets by scores of 25-15, 25-22, 30-28.

Toronto started strong, maintaining efficient attacking and control to comfortably win the first set. The second set saw tighter competition, but the Blues’ sharp hitting and defensive organization helped them edge past the Lions. The third set delivered excitement as York pushed Toronto to the limit. However, the Blues capitalized on critical errors from the Lions and sealed the game in extra points to complete a dominant sweep in a bounce back effort from being swept last night. The Blues hit .326 as a team while limiting the Lions to just .107.

Jayden Talsma led the charge for Toronto with 14 kills and 16 total points. Setter Michael Hickey was a standout, distributing 31 assists while adding an ace and five digs. Iannis Toma contributed 10 kills, while Hunter Arulpragasam added 8 kills and 9 points. From the service line, Talsma and Lukas Humle each recorded two aces, while Luka Minic and Humle provided key defensive plays with blocks.

York’s Alexander Ko was a bright spot for the Lions, posting 12 kills and 13 points despite being targeted frequently on defense. Setter Jasraj Nijjar provided 15 assists, but the Lions struggled with errors, which ultimately cost them momentum and gave the Blues an upper hand.

Toronto’s impressive performance solidifies their form as they continue their season. The Blues will be on the road next week against the Waterloo Warriors. First serve for their matchup on Friday, Jan. 24 in Waterloo, Ont. is scheduled for 8 p.m. The game can be streamed live on oua.tv.