GUELPH – It wasn't so much a New Year's resolution as it was a new mantra. The Guelph Gryphons women's volleyball team have made it a priority to play cleaner volleyball – and it's paying off. Guelph defeated the Waterloo Warriors 3-2 (27-25, 21-25, 21-25, 25-17 and 15-8) Friday night at the GGAC, for its third win in 2018.
 
Guelph (4-9) has turned it around after starting the season with just one victory in its first nine matches before the Christmas break. But aside from the obvious better results, head coach Paul Funk is seeing a change in attitude. He saw his players dig deep against Waterloo.

"After losing the third set, our team from the first half of the year may have folded in the fourth," Funk said. "But it shows how we've grown as a team that we fought back and forced a fifth. And we didn't let it slip away. It's a sign that we're maturing as a group."
 
Michaela Hellinga led the Gryphons with 18 kills and 20 points, while rookie Hazel Atkins and senior Libby Donevan had 12 and 11 kills respectively. Second-year setter Alex Curran had five aces, four of them in the critical fourth set, while libero Tara Tanasijevic came up with 21 digs. 

 
The Gryphons trailed 2-1 heading into the fourth set but they made a statement getting back into the match on their home court. A 9-0 run gave Guelph an 11-2 lead, thanks in part to three service aces from Curran. The Gryphons would rack up 14 kills, 6 by Hellinga, to take the set 25-17.
 
After an Atkins kill put the hosts up 8-6 in the deciding set, Guelph didn't let up. Atkins finished the match with a service ace for a 15-8 win in the fifth.

There were several standout performances from the young Gryphons. Donevan played an important role up front and had a game-high seven blocks, while Curran was great as the floor general, scrambling on defence and saving several balls. And Funk noted how well Kayla McMullen received Waterloo's serves. 
 
Guelph showed plenty of grit in the first set, bouncing back from an early 9-0 Waterloo run and an eventual 18-9 deficit. The Gryphons found their game and Hellinga put one away to cut the Warriors' lead to 22-20. The powerful second-year left side player teamed with Jessica Gormley for a big block on a Waterloo kill attempt to complete a dramatic 27-25 comeback.

"It was another big offensive game from Michaela," said Funk.
 
Funk felt Guelph was fortunate to win that first set but he was disappointed that his team lost the second. The Warriors regrouped and built a 19-16 lead in the set with strong play up front. Waterloo finished with 4-0 run to even up the match 1-1. And Guelph had a difficult time stopping the Waterloo momentum in the third. The Warriors took control through their service game, producing three aces in a 5-0 run that put them ahead 15-8 before they secured the set 25-21.

The Gryphons are back in action Sunday, Jan. 28 when the Lakehead Thunderwolves come to town. The match begins at noon.