HAMILTON, Ont. - Looking to empty the tank and leave everything they had left on the floor, the Guelph Gryphons took to the court Saturday night in Hamilton trying to not only clinch an OUA bronze medal, but also the final berth to the U SPORTS Men's Volleyball Championships. Knowing it would take every last ounce of effort they had to upend the hometown McMaster Marauders, the Gryphons threw everything they had at the Marauders, but in the end it was not quite enough as they fell 3-0 (22-25, 20-25, 21-25).
As soon as the first serve was put in the air, the intensity of the match went sky high. Playing a very tight opening set, neither side was willing to budge at all. Getting closer to the midway point, the Gryphons were able to take a 13-10 lead. However, a quick run from the Marauders gave them a 16-14 advantage at the technical time-out. Much like the back and forth nature of the set though, the Gryphons came right back with a response of their own. Scoring six of the next eight points, Guelph was the first team to reach 20, going up 20-18. After the two teams continued their back and forth play, the opening set sat tied 22-22. 
A McMaster kill and a pair of service aces would go on to seal the first set for the home team, 25-22.
In a similar theme to the first, the second set was much the same, with the only real difference being this time around it was the Marauders taking the early lead. Having seen their opponent go up 13-8, the Gryphons then began to apply the pressure leading in to the technical. Winning eight of the next ten rallies, the Gryphons not only overcame the deficit, but also managed to take a 16-15 lead at the time-out. With Guelph up 18-16, the Marauders fought back in a big way. Winning eight straight rallies, McMaster all of a sudden sat firmly in the driver's seat with a 24-18 advantage. Although the Gryphs tried to push back, the mountain proved a little to big to climb, dropping the set 25-20.
With their backs against the wall trailing the match 2-0, the Gryphons continued to battle. Despite falling behind 10-6 early, Guelph did their best to stay within striking distance. With McMaster getting to the technical time-out first, the Gryphs quickly pushed back. Narrowing the Marauders lead down to just one, Guelph got themselves within 16-15. Ultimately though, McMaster would find a way to push through to the finish line winning the set 25-21.
On the stat-sheet, Zarko Ubiparip led all Gryphons in kills with nine. Gideon Dresser had the team-high in assists with 25, while both Arjun Selhi and Jonathan Pickett each finished the match with two blocks.
Despite the loss, the Gryphons had a great run throughout the 2019-20 season, which, in the end, saw them reach their second OUA Final Four in the last four seasons.
