GUELPH, Ont. – Not many teams in any OUA sport have made adjustments as well the Guelph Gryphons men's volleyball team in recent weeks. Injuries and tweaked lineups haven't adversely affected the surging Gryphons. Guelph racked up another win by defeating the Nipissing Lakers in five sets (25-11, 25-19, 21-25, 23-25 and 15-8) Saturday afternoon at the GGAC on Bell Let's Talk Day.
 
The win was the fourth straight for the Gryphons, who have climbed their way up to third in the competitive OUA West standings despite missing bodies and moving personnel to new positions. Guelph got a standout performance from fifth-year left side Zach Newman, who paced the team with 16 kills and 3 aces. Oliver Hissink added 14 kills and 7 digs, while second-year left side Zarko Ubiparip registered 9 kills, 3 blocks, and a game-high 17 digs.
 
Rookie Gideon Dresser, the team's new setter from La Salle, MB, ran the offence well with 42 assists. And Jakson Paterson continued his good run of play with 6 blocks, which led all players.
 
The Gryphons needed answers after Nipissing battled its way back into the match by taking the third and fourth sets. And the hosts found them in a near-flawless fifth set. It was close in the early going of the fifth but with Guelph up 7-6, the tide turned quickly. Three consecutive blocks extended the lead to 10-6 and a Hissink kill would then stretch it to five points. Newman, a Leadership and Organizational Management student from Kitchener, ON, who earned Second Team OUA All-star honours last season, would end the match with a punishing kill that helped the hosts improve to 7-4.
 
Guelph had a sublime hitting percentage of .538 in the final set, producing 8 kills with just a single error. The Gryphons hit a solid .286 on the day.
 
It looked like the day would be a short one when Guelph jumped out to a commanding 2-0 lead with a combined 24 kills and just 4 errors through the first two sets. But the Lakers turned it around with some strong play in the third and fourth sets to extend it.
 
Gryphon Take
"We were very strong in the final set. We're confident going into fifth sets because we've been there before. I was happy with our rookies (Dresser and converted middle blocker Arjun Selhi). All of the guys have stepped up and said, 'Let's go!' They've done a great job dealing with things and I'm pleased with how we're doing it. That said, we have to get better at finishing games."  – head coach Cal Wigston
 
The Record
Guelph is 7-4
 
Next up
Brock, Thursday, Jan. 31, 8 pm @ Guelph Gryphons Athletics Centre
 

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Bell Let's Talk Day is January 30. Spread the word and help us end the stigma associated with mental illness and grow Bell's funding for mental health. On Bell Let's Talk Day, for every text message, mobile and long distance call made by Bell, Bell Aliant an Bell MTS customers, every view of Bell Let's Talk Day on social media, every tweet using #BellLetsTalk, every application of the Facebook frame and every use of Bell Let's Talk Snapchat filter, Bell will donate 5 cents to mental health initiatives across the country. To learn more, visit bell.ca/bell.ca/letstalk.
 
For information about mental health services on Campus, reach out to Student services, or ask a faculty member or your campus medical clinic [update with any specific school resources].
 
About mental illness
Mental illnesses can take many forms, just as physical illnesses do. 
Mental illnesses are still feared and misunderstood by many people, but the fear will disappear as people learn more.  That's why schools from across the country are coming together to combat the stigma associated with mental illness.
If you, or someone you know, has a mental illness, there is good news: All mental illnesses can be treated.
 
Facts (from Canadian Mental Health Association) 
Mental illness indirectly affects all Canadians at some time through a family member, friend or colleague.
In any given year, 1 in 5 people in Canada will personally experience a mental health problem or illness.
Mental illness affects people of all ages, education, income levels, and cultures.
Approximately 8% of adults will experience major depression at some time in their lives.
It is estimated that 10-20% of Canadian youth are affected by a mental illness or disorder – the single most disabling group of disorders worldwide.
The total number of 12-19 year-olds in Canada at risk for developing depression is a staggering 3.2 million.
Suicide is among the leading causes of death in 15-24 year-old Canadians, second only to accidents; 4,000 people die prematurely each year by suicide.
In Canada, only 1 out of 5 children who need mental health services receives them.