Written by Sarah Dunstan
“Four years ago, we sat down and [asked] ‘when do we want to go for the championship?’” – head coach Cal Wigston following the Gryphons surprising quarter-final win over Windsor.
The Gryphon men’s volleyball team beat the Windsor Lancers in a nail-biting five-set match on Saturday and their celebration, however sweet, was short lived, as the Gryphons are already preparing to compete in the OUA semi-finals against the McMaster Marauders.
The full-length match-up featured outstanding back and forth action with neither team able to sustain a great deal of momentum, and, despite Guelph’s best efforts, the Lancers took the first set by a score of 25-23.
But, the Gryphons fought back, ending the second set with a resounding 25-12 victory. The score was predominantly tied for the duration of the third set, but the Lancers managed to pile on the extra points towards the end, finishing the set with a 25-23 advantage, putting the Gryphons season on the brink of collapse.
Guelph brought the game to a tie by ending the fourth set with a score of 25-18, and worked frantically to beat out the Lancers in the fifth by a score of 15-12. Notable contributors in the Gryphons victory were Andrew Revie with a phenomenal 25 points, Andrew Bartram with 18, and Jonathan Whitton with 16.
The team was ecstatic with the results of the game, bringing them one step closer to the OUA championship title. But, by the time head coach Cal Wigston had returned to Guelph from the St. Denis Centre, he was already watching replay videos and preparing for Friday’s game.
Though the team’s winning streak may seem sporadic to onlookers, according to Wigston, the team’s success has been several years in the making.
“Four years ago, we sat down and [asked] ‘when do we want to go for the championship?’” said Wigston.
Instilling a philosophy in an individual, let alone a team of volleyball players, is a lengthy process; however, it looks as though all the behind-the-scenes planning has finally paid off. The team has finally come together, and has a good shot at winning the OUA championship title.
“Friday’s game will be an opportunity for us to get back into the final game,” said Wigston.
Championship outcomes aside, the men’s volleyball team has still had a great season. Last Friday, three Gryphons received OUA honours, including libero of the year Gabe deGroot, who received the honour for the second consecutive season, after placing third in OUA in total digs with 173.
Second-year rightside Winston Rosser lit up the scoreboard for the Gryphons this season with a scoring average of 4.22 points-per-game, placing him fourth in the OUA, and Jonathan Whitton, a fifth-year student, finished second on the team in scoring, with an average 3.37 points-per-game.
Wigston indicated that all three of these players have contributed to the team’s successful season, and are extremely motivated to win the OUA championship.
The Gryphons will play against McMaster on Friday in Hamilton. Guelph has fared well against the Marauders during the regular season with respective game scores of 3-1 and 3-0. But, however skilled the men may be, they can expect no easy victory. McMaster still very much presents a formidable foe,
“They’re a seasoned veteran team with some very good players,” said Wigston.
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