GUELPH – The Guelph Gryphons women's volleyball team has gone through its share of growing pains early in the 2017/18 OUA season. The young Gryphons looked strong early but dropped three straight sets to the unbeaten Ryerson Rams, losing 3-1 at the Guelph Gryphons Events Centre Friday night. Guelph took the first set against the powerhouse Rams 25-22 but lost 25-13, 25-17, and 25-17 in the next three to fall to 1-8 on the year. 

Head coach Paul Funk has seen glimpses of what the Gryphons can do. And the match with Ryerson was no exception. Guelph showed they could execute with skill, and followed the game plan early before the more experienced Rams pulled away.

"There haven't been many sets with this group where I've questioned their effort," said Funk. "It's our execution that has been the problem right now and that's why we can't be consistent. The girls are trying hard I have no doubt about that, they're effort is good but we're young and we got to learn to execute better."

Michaela Hellinga and Lisa Wedel had eight kills each for the Gryphons, while Kayla McMullen had a team-best eight digs.
 
The Gryphons started quick, taking five of the first six points in the opening set. Ryerson clawed its way back into the match and tied it 19-19 but Guelph got a huge block from Jessica Gormley to take a 23-21 lead. The defence came up big late in the set and the Gryphons went up 1-0 on a timely kill from Gormley.

The Rams would take their first lead when they went up 8-7 in the second. Guelph played a sloppy set, which helped Ryerson go on a 15-3 run to lead 20-10 and eventually take it 25-13. The Gryphons finished the set with 13 errors.
 
The visitors kept that momentum up in the third set, winning 12 of 14 points through one stretch to take a commanding 14-5 lead. They closed it out and won the set 25-17, though the Gryphons did put up a late fight in taking five of the last seven points.

"We hit the ball on the court, our service was good," Funk said of the excellent start. "That was the main reason why we were able to play well in the first set. After that our execution went away."

The coach said that getting Libby Donevan back on the court in the New Year will help. He added that Guelph needs to keep plugging away at training and execute at sharpening skills, hitting more balls in bounds, and getting more digs as they prepare for the second half of the season.
 
The Gryphons have a long break before hosting the Lakehead Thunderwolves on Friday, Jan. 12.