The Queen's Gaels defeated the Nipissing Lakers in a hard-fought five-set game on Saturday afternoon in the ARC. After last night's five-set loss, the Gaels were out for redemption and remained composed under pressure to come out with the win. Fourth year outside hitter Reed Venning (Arts & Science) led the attack with an astounding 18 kills, 4 service aces, and 2 solo blocks. Setters Chris Zimmerman (Arts) and Wyatt Hall (Arts & Science) put up 25 and 22 assists, respectively. First year libero Carson Francis (Economics) was strong defensively, with 13 digs.
The Gaels started the game strong, with two service aces by Nikola Mitrovic (Economics) that stunned the Lakers. Mitrovic continued to be dominant on the service line, making two more service aces, while Venning also put up a service ace. The Gaels held a consistent lead throughout the set and did not give the Lakers any opportunity to turn it over. The Gaels extended their lead and reached set point with a comfortable 24-17 lead. The Gaels finished the set with a block by Venning, winning 25-17.
After a strong first set from the Gaels, the home team struggled with their errors, allowing the Lakers to get on the board. Nipissing held a small lead, but that did not deter the Gaels, as they fought back to tie the score at 8-8. The teams exchanged point for point, tying up to 17-17, after which Nipissing found another slight lead. A service ace by Venning brought the score back within one, 23-22. Second year setter Hall subbed in to assist Venning and Izaak Zabjek (Kinesiology) under pressure, eliminating the Lakers' lead. Intensity was high, and the Gaels remained composed to take the second set 26-24 off a block from Ben Carr (Arts & Science).
With the game on the line, the Lakers were not going down without a fight. The Gaels displayed their depth, with kills in the third set coming from five different athletes. The teams tied up to their 13th points, but Nipissing managed to secure a small lead that they carried to the end of the set. The Lakers extended the game to a fourth set, taking the third set 25-19.
The Lakers carried their offensive momentum into the fourth set, where five consecutive points brought them a 12-9 lead against the Gaels. Venning continued to have a strong service game, picking up their fifth ace. Late in the set, setter Hall and middle Alex Brdarevic (Engineering) connected well at the net, making two quick kills that caught the Lakers off guard. Despite this, the Lakers managed to close out the fourth set in similar fashion to the third, 25-19.
The Lakers found a quick 4-0 lead in the final set, as the Gaels fought to stay in the game. Intensity was high in the ARC, as Queen's clawed their way back onto the scoreboard. A huge solo block by Brdarevic tied the score back at 10-10, followed by three back-to-back kills by Venning to earn the Gaels their first lead of the fifth set. Queen's displayed their resilience and composure, going up 14-11 to reach set point. The Gaels finished off the game with a kill from Venning to take the win, 15-12.
Up next, the Gaels will face the York Lions on the road on November 21st at 7:30pm. They improve their record to 7-1 and will look to add to their win column next weekend.
