It’s playoff time for Ryerson’s volleyball teams. Both the men’s and women’s teams turned in stellar regular seasons and are looking for redemption after disappointing in the playoffs last year. The women will host the Queen’s Gaels next Saturday at the Mattamy Athletic Centre while the men will take on the visiting Western Mustangs.
Although the women swept the season series against the Gaels, 3-0 and 3-2, Queen’s will not be an easy out. The Gaels enter the playoffs on a four-game winning streak and are one of the hottest teams in the OUA.
On the other hand, the Rams have struggled recently, with only two wins during the month of February. Their struggles are partly to be blamed for the loss of one of their best players, Emily Nicholishen, who has been out since January with an ankle sprain. Nicholishen is expected to return to the lineup next Saturday.
Ryerson boasts one of the OUA’s top offences. The Rams rank second in total kills and kills per set, thanks in large part to outside hitter Veronica Livingston, who leads the league in kills.
However, the Gaels have one of the OUA’s top defences. The Gaels’ defence, which is second in total digs and digs per set and top 10 in blocks, is led by libro Becky Wilson, who is in the top five in the league in total digs and digs per set. The Gaels also have a strong service game racking up 129 service aces, good for third in the league.
On the men’s side, Ryerson looks to be a heavy favourite against Western.
The Rams defeated the Mustangs last Saturday to sweep the season series and are 8-2 on the season at home, with arguably the league’s best offence. The Rams lead the OUA in total kills, kills per set, total assists and total points. They’re second in assists per set, service aces, and points per set.
The Rams potent offence is led by the trio of Adam Anagnostopoulos, Robert Wojcik, and Lucas Coleman. Anagnostopoulos leads the league in assists per set, Wojcik leads the league in service aces per set and Coleman is top five in total kills, kills per set and hitting percentage.
This article was published in the print edition of The Ryersonian on Feb. 24, 2015.