George Brown dominated the first set and kept on rolling
George Brown men’s volleyball didn’t just clinch their playoff future on Saturday. They did so emphatically.
With a strong straight-sets victory (25-13, 26-24, 25-22) over the La Cite Coyotes, the Huskies (10-7) have earned hosting duties for a qualifying game next weekend, with the winner off to play in the Ontario Colleges Athletics Association Championship (OCAA).
One can be forgiven for failing to anticipate George Brown’s 3-0 win. In addition to the Huskies’ 3-1 loss to La Cite on Nov. 19, the Coyotes’ 8-8 record was a fair reflection of a strong, if inconsistent opponent.
And then the first set happened.
For those expecting a battle, the appropriate word would be disappointing. George Brown’s A game was met by a La Cite side not quite ready to start the match. It was a shocking beginning to a tilt with OCAA Championship implications, one which largely set the tone for the night’s remainder.
“It was terrible,” said Coyotes head coach Corey Wilcox, mincing no words. “It was probably by far our worst game of the year. We didn’t show up at all, we weren’t ready to play. Our serve-receive was terrible, our decision-making was terrible, we gave that game away. There was no reason for it to be that one-sided.”
.@GBC_Huskies win the first set 25-13 vs. @CoyotesdeLaCite. #DialogSports pic.twitter.com/3dLmlGtH6B
— The Dialog (@DialogGBC) February 12, 2017
Though the second and third sets were significantly closer on the scoreboard, the end result never seemed in doubt. This air of confidence was one felt by George Brown coaches and players alike.
“We came on the court knowing that we were going to win the whole time,” said Huskies middle Matthew Krok, who had a strong game at the net coupled with eight kills on 12 total attempts. “We felt very confident, never a doubt in my mind that we weren’t going to win that match.”
George Brown head coach Garrett May lauded his side for “rising to the occasion with no fear, not afraid to lose, knowing we’re going to win and going after it.” May has long believed that the Huskies would peak at the right time, and with five wins in their last six games, it’s materializing before his eyes.
For the coach, hosting their qualifying game is about more than playing where they practice. It’s a statement about George Brown volleyball, full stop.
“We’re not just scraping into the playoffs; we earned our spot and another team has to come into our gym and challenge us for our spot,” May said, clearly pleased with his side’s performance. “Really, it’s the message we sent to the league and that we send to ourselves, that hey, we went out and did what it took to host the game in our own gym, and we’re looking to take advantage of that.”
A good day for @GBC_Huskies volleyball. Men’s defeat @CoyotesdeLaCite 25-22 in the third, 3-0 overall. #DialogSports pic.twitter.com/eXRl8xFjUD
— The Dialog (@DialogGBC) February 12, 2017
