GUELPH, Ont. - With two teams ranked one in front of the other in the U SPORTS Top-10 taking on each other Sunday night at the GGAC, the result was very likely going to be close. Even though the match did not go five sets, it still had that same kind of feel and intensity all throughout, with the Guelph Gryphons ultimately falling 3-1 (22-25, 20-25, 27-25, 23-25) to the Toronto Varsity Blues.
With three of the four sets decided by three points or less, there was not much to separate the two teams all night. In a classic back and forth match, neither team was able to create much of a lead right from the very beginning which continued right until the final whistle.
In the early stages of the opening set the Gryphons quickly went up 5-2, and later 8-5, but could not get their lead any bigger than three. Then the Varsity Blues would punch back keeping the set tied right up to the technical time-out. With points continuing to be exchanged, the set sat tied 21-21, before the visitors were able to make a push and take the set 25-22.
Trying to get back on even terms in the second set, the Gryphons found themselves in a very similar situation. Again, neither team was able to pull away by much more than a point or two as the set progressed. With Toronto taking a 16-14 lead into the technical time-out, the Gryphons quickly pulled back within one, but then a couple of points in a row for Toronto began to widen the margin late. Down 23-20, the Gryphons were unable to secure the next two points as the second set finished 25-20 in favour of the Blues.
As if listening to a broken record, the third set followed the same script as well.
After Toronto went up 5-2 early in the set, for the rest of the third neither team was able to create a lead bigger than two points. With so much riding on each and every rally, the Gryphons did everything they could to capitalize on each and every opportunity they got. Building up a 24-22 advantage, the Gryphons had a pair of set-points but the Varsity Blues were able to battle back and tie the set 24-24. However, Guelph did not allow that momentum switch to become a problem. Using three big kills, two from Zarko Ubiparip and one from Oliver Hissink, the Gryphons went on to take the third set 27-25 and force a fourth.
Given the nature of the first three sets, it should come as no surprise that the fourth one was more of the same.
Both sides went point for point for the most part, but the Blues were able to create some breathing room heading into the technical. Scoring five straight points, Toronto held a 16-11 lead over Guelph at the time-out. However, the Gryphons immediately fought right back with five points of their own. Tied 16-16, the set came right down to the wire. With Guelph up 23-22, Toronto put together a three point run to win the set and take the match.
"We had a good idea about what they were going to do, and how they were going to do it," said Gryphon's head coach Cal Wigston. "We just had a hard time stopping it."
"Toronto is a legitimate hard hitting team, and a really really good team. We are just off a little bit and missing a little bit. We have a good idea on how to fix it, and now it's just going to work and fixing it."
Leading the Gryphon's attack on Sunday, Ubiparip finished the game with 13 kills, while Hissink had 11. Aidan Hayter had 25 assists in the match, and Ben Kissack led the Gryphons in digs with 9.
Guelph will now finish up their pre-Christmas schedule with a Sunday afternoon contest against the Windsor Lancers. Game time is scheduled for 4:00pm at the GGAC.
