York hosted the 37th annual Excalibur Classic volleyball tournament at Tait McKenzie Centre this past weekend. The three-day contest consisted of several action-packed games with the York Lions, Nipissing Lakers, Western Mustangs, and Ryerson Rams all battling for the gold medal.
In the past few months, the Lions men’s volleyball team had a very strong start to their season before they began to slip away from their dominant streak as 2015 came to a close. However, if their performance in the Excalibur Classic is anything to judge by, they have not let that get them down. They gave every game their best in the tournament, determined to establish their momentum and carry it through to the end of the season.
Playing on their home court, the Lions started off the weekend with a tough loss to the Ryerson Rams. “Friday started off with high hopes and a lot of energy,” says Lions outside hitter Arthur Szwarc. “Unfortunately, we didn’t perform to the best of our abilities and lost the game.” The game was a disappointing throwback to last November, when the Rams defeated the Lions in four sets despite a valiant effort by the players in red and white.
However, the team followed up the next day with a strong 3-1 victory over the Nipissing Lakers in the semifinals. Szwarc attributed the team’s success in Saturday’s game to their “hunger to come back” into the tournament and their desire to seek revenge on the Rams, who they clashed with in the championship final on Sunday.
“We came out dominating and won three straight, winning the gold medal for our school,” says Szwarc.
“This has definitely boosted everyone’s confidence and we even got a smile out of our head coach, Wally Dyba!”
Sunday’s gold in the Excalibur Classic marked the first time the Lions have come out on top in the tournament since 1989. The win has given a great boost to the team’s morale, getting them psyched for the rest of the season.
“It is definitely teamwork and cohesion,” says Szwarc, commenting on the key to the team’s success. “If we are all working together and on the same level, things turn out great for us as shown at the Excalibur. Working together and playing as one, rather than separately, turns out positively in the end for our team.”
Having already achieved so much, the Lions are still just halfway through their season. With the Excalibur Classic behind them, they will be looking to carry the momentum into their upcoming games, including yet another clash with the Ryerson Rams on January 16th.
“We are more than excited to get to the playoffs and give it our all,” says Szwarc.
Cynthia Lam, Staff Writer
Featured image courtesy of Amir Yazdanparast
