Rustlers Men's Volleyball | Weekend Recap - Nov 29 & 30, 2019
The Rustlers men's volleyball team finished their first half of the season with a loss and a win against the Grande Prairie Regional College (GPRC) Wolves this past weekend.
On Friday night, the Rustlers would lose in a 5th and deciding set (25-18, 23-25, 25-23, 16-25, 8-15).
The men would come out strong, controlling the ball well and winning the first set handily 25-18. The Wolves would push back in the second set and come out on top 25-23 over the Rustlers.
The third set was just as close as the second set; however, the Rustlers would come out on top 25-23 over the Wolves instead.
In the fourth set, the Rustlers would experience some ball control troubles and lose the fourth set 25-16 forcing a fifth set.
In the fifth, the Rustlers continued to struggle on serve receive and defense, and the Wolves would overpower them to take the match 3-2.
Player of the game for the Rustlers was first-year outside hitter Mason Short with 8 kills, 2 digs, and 3 blocks. Outsides Matt Peck and Ryan van Oosterwijck would each add 10 kills for the Rustlers. The fourth-year Libero Jean Carlos Funez would have a team-high 15 digs.
On Saturday afternoon, the Rustlers looked to bounce back to finish their first semester on a high note. The Rustlers would win the match in 5 sets (23-25, 17-25, 25-22, 27-25, 18-16).
Initially, it would not be looking good for the Rustlers as they would narrowly lose the first two sets.
The Rustlers would not quit just yet, and they came out stronger in the third set allowing for them to win 25-22.
The fourth set was a very close matchup with the Rustlers winning in extra points 27-25 with the game on the line several times.
In the fifth set, the Rustlers and Wolves would battle the whole way through. The Wolves would have match point 3 times, and the Rustlers managed to fend them off each time. The game would finish with a service ace from fourth-year setter Jose Arellano with a score of 18-16 for the Rustlers.
Player of the game for the Rustlers was first-year outside hitter Alex Larson with 3 kills and 6 digs. Arellano would finish the match with 41 assists, 3 service aces, 6 digs, and 1 kill. Matt Peck would score 14 points for the Rustlers and have 11 digs. Ryan van Oosterwijck had a team-high 14 digs and added 11 kills.
The Rustlers have completed the first half of their season with a record of 7 wins and 5 losses. They are sitting third in the ACAC North Division and are heading into a much-needed Christmas break and will return to homecourt on Saturday, January 11 to take on the Concordia Thunder.