GUELPH, Ont. - With one of the top teams in the country coming in to their gym Sunday evening, the Guelph Gryphons knew they were going to have to fight and scrap their way against the No. 4-nationally ranked Toronto Varsity Blues. Although the Gryphons were able to extend many different rallies and battled Toronto for nearly two hours, Guelph in the end fell 3-1 (15-25, 25-27, 27-25, 14-25).

Leading the Gryphons with 25 digs in the match, Tara Tanasijevic showcased Guelph's grinding mentality from start to finish. Unfortunately, the Gryphons weren't quite able to keep up in the late stages of the contest.

In the opening set, the Gryphons had a tough time trying to figure out the visitors. With the Blues jumping out to a 10-2 lead, the Gryphons did their best to battle back, but had a big hill to climb. Although they were able to make a few different pushes throughout the set, Guelph was not able to overcome the deficit falling 25-15.

However, once the Gryphons were able to clear the first set from their systems, they began to give Toronto about as much as they could handle. Winning nine of the first ten points in the 2nd set, Guelph began to build up some confidence. Despite the Gryphon's energy though, the Varsity Blues would not go away. Toronto was able to work their way back into the set before Guelph wound up taking a 16-14 lead into the technical time-out. For the rest of the set, neither team was able to establish a lead bigger than two points. After the visitors were able to save a set-point with Guelph up 24-23, Toronto went on to win three of the next four rallies en route to a 27-25 2nd set win.

With their backs against the wall, the Gryphons quickly showed they weren't going anywhere. In a very similar fashion to the set before, the home side was able to build up an 11-6 advantage, and again, just like the set prior the Varsity Blues were able to respond prior to the technical time-out. After seeing their opponents tie the game 15-15, the Gryphons used a kill from Thea Brouwer to give them the lead at the technical. As the set progressed, the Gryphons found themselves facing a match-point with Toronto up 24-23, but this time Guelph was able to do to Toronto what had been done to them in the 2nd. The Gryphons survived the match-point before winning three of the next four to take the set 27-25 and extend the match.

Trying to extend the match even further to a deciding 5th set, the Gryphons went toe to toe with the Varsity Blues in the early stages of the set. With the two teams going back and forth the score sat tied 10-10 in the middle stages. From that point on though, the Blues were able to go on a couple of runs and take the final set 25-14 and the match 3-1.

"We were grinding throughout the game," said Gryphon's head coach Paul Funk. "I felt that was pretty obvious."

"Even at the end of the second set, we had two or three different swings to try and win the set but couldn't put it away, so we certainly had our chances. Had we have won that set, it might have been a different match, but we couldn't quite get it done in the crucial moments."

For the Gryphons they have one more game remaining on their schedule before breaking for Christmas. Guelph will wrap up 2019 when they play host to the Windsor Lancers on Sunday. First serve is set for 2:00pm at the GGAC.