The Durham Lords volleyball teams played their final games of the pre-season yesterday against the Niagara Knights.
The Lords women’s team continued its winning streak, defeating Niagara by a score of 3-1.
The men’s team, however, could not repeat its clutch victory from the week prior. The Lords were shut out with a score of 0-3.
This match comes on the heels of the Adidas Cup, a two-day home tournament last weekend.
The round-robin event featured eight teams divided into two pools. The Lords finished third with three wins and one loss, beating Loyalist in the bronze match with a score of 3-1.
They also found success at home against the Trent Excaliburs earlier this month, claiming victory against the university team, which plays in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) league.
With an audience average of 100 people, spectators were on the edge of their seats.
The women’s team showcased resilience and technique in their match. They lost early, barely losing their first set.
“ We were down 15-5 and we came back, I think it was 23-25,” outside hitter Jayde Smyth said. “In the first set, I think they got a lot of points just from our errors.”
The team made a comeback, ending in a score of 3-1. On the men’s side, the game was not as clear-cut.
The Lords took the first set, followed by two losses. They pushed forward, securing the fourth set to tie it up.
Going into the final set, the Lords carried the momentum, securing a final score of 3-2.
“We knew going into this that we’re never going to see this team ever because it’s an OUA team,” said Ravi Hunter, the team’s libero. “It kind of gave us a little extra confidence knowing that we can leave it all out there, knowing that we’re not gonna see these guys.”
According to Hunter, setter and outside hitter Jonas Felix was one reason for the comeback.
“ Seeing him at the service line today, he was surgical,” Hunter said.
Both Durham Lords’ seasons kick off on Oct. 17 against the Loyalist Lancers at home.