The Windsor Lancers men's volleyball team opened the season in grand fashion after a hard fought and well deserved 3-1 (25-23, 27-25, 21-25, 25-22) win over the Brock Badgers.
 
The Badgers came out strong, looking for their first regular season win vs the Lancers in four years but the blue and gold were up to the task, extending their win streak against the Badgers.
 
The win moves the Lancers to 1-0 on the OUA season as they prepare to face the McMaster Marauders on Saturday.
 
GAME STATS
Brock's Logan House led all scorers with 22 kills. The Lancers were led by Pierce Johnson's 11.
 
Windsor's Steven Abrams and Brock's Grant Reddon and Logan House all led the game in digs with 11 each.
 
York's Reddon led the game with 44 assists. Nolan Langley led the Lancers with 34.
 
GAME FLOW
The Badgers came out of the gate strong, trying to get their first win against the Lancers in four years, and jumped out to an early 11-6 lead, prompting the Lancers to take a timeout.  Coming out of the timeout the Lancers looked more polished, clawing their way back and taking the lead thanks to a fantastic service stretch from Brad Gyemi, 15-14. Continuing to play with momentum Windsor forced the Badgers into a timeout trailing 20-18. The timeout was much needed and the Badgers slowed the Lancers momentum. However, with Lancers got to set point and Johnson capitalized on a free ball to take the set 25-23 and go up 1-0.
 
The second set was far more tightly contested from the start with both the Lancers and Badgers playing each other close. Neither team had much separation as the set approached its midway point tied at 11. The Lancers stayed just ahead of the hosts and Brad Gyemi took the Lancers into the technical with a strong kill to put the Lancers up 16-14. Out of the technical however, it was the Badgers with momentum, going on a 5-1 run to take a 19-17 lead and forcing the Lancers into a timeout. The Lancers would have to take a second timeout while trailing but the message was heard as the Lancers stole set point from the Badgers going up 25-24 behind some great play from Dami Alalade. The Lancers couldn't end the set then and there, but Sean Spencer's ace ended it soon thereafter, 27-25 to give the Lancers a 2-0 lead.
 
The Lancers came out slow in the third, giving up two easy points on poor communication to open the set. The Badgers continued to find holes in the Windsor defense and maintained a slim lead, 8-6 early over the blue and gold. Windsor forced the Badgers into a timeout when they tied it at 13, but it was the Badgers with the momentum after, leading 16-13 at the technical. The Badgers strong play continued as they looked to extend the game, leading 22-19 late. The Lancers made it close but dropped their first set of the season 25-21, shrinking their lead to 2-1.
 
The Badgers continued their trend of strong starts in the fourth, taking an early lead over the Lancers for the third time in the match. Windsor tied the game at 9 and took their first lead of the game 11-10 but the Badgers refused to back down, not giving an inch and keeping the game within a point.  The Badgers led 16-15 at the break, but the Lancers came out of the technical on fire, forcing the Badgers to take a timeout as they found themselves down 21-18.  With the Lancers playing for the match point, Alalade continued his dominant game, putting down the game winning kill for the Lancers to take the set 25-22, and the 3-1 win.
 
UP NEXT
Up next the Lancers head to Hamilton to take on the McMaster Marauders. Service is set to get underway at 8:00 pm on www.OUA.tv.