GUELPH, Ont. – They have faced some adversity lately but the Guelph Gryphons men's volleyball team has shown it's a resilient group. The Gryphons, using makeshift lineups and shuffling players to new positions due to a rash of injuries, came up with one of their biggest results of the season, defeating the No. 10-ranked Queen's Gaels 3-1 (24-26, 25-22, 25-19, 25-22) at the GGAC Friday night.
 
Guelph dropped a close first set but stormed back to take the next three, finishing the night with a Zach Newman kill and a Queen's service error on the final two points of the decisive fourth set.
 
The Gryphons established a presence at the net against the talented Gaels, led by second-year left side Zarko Ubiparip, who tied for the match-high in kills with 12. Newman and Jakson Paterson (2 aces and 4 blocks) added 10 and 9 kills respectively and Guelph got 37 assists from their new setter Gideon Dresser, Oliver Hissink and Benjamin Kissack had 10 digs apiece.
 
Guelph started well in the first set, taking leads of 4-0 and 7-2. The Gaels battled back and got better as the set wore on, ultimately taking it 26-24 after winning five of the last six points. The Gryphons rebounded in the second and after trailing 22-21, scored four consecutive points to close it out and tie the match 1-1.
 
The hosts' confidence grew and they built on that strong second. Like they did in the first, jumped out to an early 4-1 lead. At 14-14, Ubiparip produced a big kill and Guelph took full advantage, never relinquishing the lead again. That point spurred a 5-0 run and Ubiparip finished it off with another kill to hand the team a 2-1 lead after three sets.
 
Queen's, which had its five-match win streak snapped, struggled throughout the match committing several errors, while the Gryphons were solid, making just six in the final two sets. Guelph also outhit the Gaels .225 to .162.


Gryphon Take
"Queen's is a great team, No. 10 in the country and on top of the OUA East. We really didn't expect to win three straight sets like that. We worked hard all week on our serves, passing and blocking scheme and it paid off. And Jak Paterson had the game of his life. Four stuff blocks against a front line as good as Queen's was fantastic." – head coach Cal Wigston

 
The Record
Guelph is 5-4
 

Next up
RMC, Saturday, Jan. 19, 8 pm @ Guelph Gryphons Athletics Centre