KINGSTON, Ont. (November 28, 2015)- Mike Tomlinson recorded a game-high 20 kills, and the No. 10 Queen's Gaels men's volleyball team earned a dramatic five-set victory over the Waterloo Warriors by a score of 3-2 (18-25, 25-23, 25-23, 14-25, 15-9) on Saturday evening at the Athletics and Recreation Centre (ARC).

Tomlinson (Stratford, Ont.) added 13 digs and five block assists for Queen's, while Will Hoey (Brampton, Ont.) and Scott Brunet (Calgary, Alta.) tallied nine and eight kills respectively in the win. Braden Cok picked up a game-best 23 points in a losing cause for the Warriors.

Queen's improves to 8-2 and sit alone in second place heading into the holiday break, while Waterloo drops to 7-4 on the year.

GAME FLOW
After Waterloo got on the board with an opening set win, the hosts went down early in the second set, but stormed back to take their first lead of the match, going up 10-8. Tomlinson started heating up on the right side, notching three kills to help maintain the Gael spread as the set neared the technical timeout. Waterloo managed to cut the deficit to a single point at the break, but another kill by Tomlinson capped a mini run by the hosts that put them up by three, prompting a Waterloo timeout.

Greg Simone did his best to keep the Warriors within striking distance, tallying a couple of kills following the timeout, but the Gaels refused to relinquish their small lead. A block by Jamie Wright gave Queen's a set-point, and a big kill from Scott Brunet closed out the second stanza and brought the match level at 1-1.

The third set was hotly contested in its early stages, as some close calls and momentum shifts created a dramatic atmosphere at the arc before the technical break. Rookie Zac Hutcheson (Kingston) picked up an ace after being substituted into the match, while veterans Tomlinson and Brunet tallied back-to-back kills to give Queen's a small two-point cushion. Hutcheson helped the men consolidate their lead with a massive hit from the left side, much to the delight of his teammates. The hometown native then proceeded to stuff the next Waterloo attack, bringing the ARC crowd to its feet and giving the Gaels a small cushion.

An ace from Simone sparked the Warriors, and the visitors tallied four-straight points to even the set at 22-22, forcing the Gaels into a timeout. A free-ball off another strong serve by Simone was botched by the Warriors after the break, and Hutcheson continued his formidable play since being substituted, notching an ace to give Queen's a set point. Hoey made good on their second opportunity, bringing the Gaels within a set of the match.

Down 8-4 in the fourth set, Queen's worked the deficit down to one point with the help of another ace from Hutcheson, but the visitors held a three-point lead at the technical. The Warriors then proceeded to take over the set, notching eight-straight points that gave them a number of set points. After Scott Brunet ended the point-streak, Simone responded with a kill, sending the match to a deciding fifth set.

Queen's opened the fifth with a bang as consecutive blocks from Tomlinson and Chris Brunet gave them a 3-1 lead. Tomlinson extended the lead to three with a kill after a Waterloo timeout, and the hosts went up 8-4 before the teams changed benches midway through the set.

After Waterloo cut the lead to two, Hoey and Marko Dakic (Mississauga) combined for a huge block that brought the ARC crowd to its feet. Hoey then put the ball down after a great save by Tomlinson, who then put Queen's on match-point with a kill. Scott Brunet came up with a huge solo block that landed deep in the Waterloo court, clinching the marathon win for Queen's.  

FINAL SAY
"We started taking the pressure off of Waterloo by serving too easy (in the middle sets)," said Head Coach Brenda Willis. "We tried to run as much right side and middle options as we could, which worked really well. Our left side wasn't as effective for the second game in a row against two good teams, so that is something we will have to look at. When we were down in the fourth set, we talked about trying to get a bit of momentum and stable approach going into the fifth in our timeout, and we were able to do that."

"Zac Hutcheson is fearless. He did a great job coming in for Marco. I have no qualms about going to him. I'm really proud of Zac, he's done really well. He allowed Marco to take some time and reflect. (And then) we challenged Marco and he really stepped up in the fifth set."

On the first half of the season
"Coming into the season I was really concerned when we lost Markus Trence, who was our biggest power hitter. We were also down a setter and were without Mike Tomlinson for a number of weekends, but other guys have stepped up and speaks well to our depth. I'm delighted to be 8-2 at this point, and I think we can manage a strong showing in the second half with some good preparation during the break."

BY THE NUMBERS
1 – The difference between Queen's and Waterloo's kill total. The hosts tallied 50, the guests 51
3- The number of aces by rookie Zac Hutcheson
.353- The hitting efficiency for the Gaels in the fifth set, their strongest in the match

UP NEXT
The Gaels are back in action on January 15 when they take on the No. 1 McMaster Marauders in Hamilton. Queen's returns to the ARC on January 22 and 23 to host York and Nipissing respectively.