KINGSTON, Ont. (February 18, 2011) – After finishing the season with a 16-4 record for the third consecutive season, the Queen's Gaels men's volleyball team opens defence of its 2010 OUA Championship this weekend when they host the Waterloo Warriors in one of three OUA Quarter-final matches.

The match is scheduled for Saturday, February 19 at 7:00 pm at the Athletics and Recreation Centre (ARC)

The Gaels, who have been a model of consistency over the past six seasons, posting 16 or more wins five times in the last six years, enter the playoffs as the No. 3 seed in the conference after losing the tie-breaker to the McMaster Marauders (16-4).

Queen's also comes into the playoffs as one of the hottest teams in the OUA as they have posted an 8-2 record since the holiday break, including going 7-1 in their last eight games.

This season, the Gaels have been once again led by two-time CIS All-Canadian Joren Zeeman of Cambridge, Ont. Zeeman has been a force on the outside all year, finishing fourth in the nation in kills per set averaging 4.1 per set. His play as of late has been one of the main reasons for Queen's second half success as he has led the team in kills in four consecutive matches to close out the regular season.

Other Gaels to keep an eye on during this year's playoffs include fourth year middle Michael Amoroso of Toronto, setter Dan Rosenbaum of Hamilton, and outside hitter Bryan Fautley of Oakville, Ont.

Amoroso has been the Gaels top defensive presence this year as his 40 solo blocks is good enough for fourth in the CIS. He has also been a strong option in the Gaels offensive schemes as he ranks third on the team in kills with 141 on the year.

After battling an injury in the first half of the year, Rosenbaum has once again established himself as one of the top setters in the country as his 9.6 assists per set ranks him seventh in all of Canada. He was especially strong in the Gaels final seven matches, recording 30 or more assists against six of Queen's final seven opponents.

Fautley, who has named a CIS tournament all-star at last year's CIS Championship, has been a very good secondary attack option for Queen's this year. His 193 kills are a career high for the fourth year veteran and rank him 11th overall in the OUA.

As for the Gaels opponent in the OUA Quarter-final, the Waterloo Warriors have had an up-and-down season which saw them pull off upset victories over both the Gaels, back on January 15, and the McMaster Marauders. However, the team lost three of their final home games to finish the year with a 9-11 record.

The Warriors feature potential OUA Rookie of the Year candidate Fiodar Kazhamiaka of Waterloo, Ont. Kazhamiaka finished the year with an impressive 216 kills to lead Waterloo in that statistical category.

Other Warriors to keep an eye on in Saturday's match include rookie middle Jordan Dyck of St. Catharines, Ont., who had nine kills in Waterloo's win over the Gaels, and second year middle Tyler Motherwell of Scarborough, Ont., who also had nine kills in the victory.

Tickets for Saturday's match are $5 for students/youth and $10 for adults.