Teamwork triumphs: Wolves dominate La Cité Coyotes in long-awaited victory

The Wolves men’s volleyball team delivered an impressive performance against the La Cité Coyotes on Nov. 6, securing a dominant 3-0 win at the Jack Doyle Athletics and Recreation Centre.

This victory was especially significant for the Wolves, who were struggling with a five-game losing streak.

For the team, this win was not just about the points on the board, but a crucial moment of bonding. With several new players, the team has faced challenges in coming together, but they are beginning to find their rhythm.

“This win is huge for us,” said Ryan Lincoln, who plays outside positions for the Wolves. “We’ve got a lot of new players this year, and it’s been a process getting everyone on the same page—sorting out everyone’s individual quirks and making them align.”

Wolves head coach Jelle Kooijman, who has the challenge of training a young team, agreed.

“This is a really young team, lots of new players, lots of new tournaments, and many players in new positions they weren’t in last year,” he said.

Ahead of the game against La Cité, Kooijman reflected on the team’s recent losses.

“Last week, we had two tough losses in five sets. We made some errors, but we’ve been working on how to eliminate those mistakes in our meetings on Tuesdays,” said Kooijman. “We’ve talked about how these errors are costing us when we look at our stats.”

One challenge this season is service errors. The Wolves have committed 127 total in six games, ranking them second overall for making those errors, according to the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association.

For their overall game play, they have made 35 service aces in six games, ranking seventh in the in the OCAA.

Mahmoud Abdelaziz, an outside hitter for the Wolves, kept himself calm and collected before the game against La Cité, understanding the pressure the team was under.

“I like to stay as relaxed as possible ’cause I feel the nerves before any game. So, personally me, I like to try and stay as relaxed and calm as possible, nothing too stimulating before the game,” said Abdelaziz.

After the game, he said he focused on his serving, trying not to make any service errors. Abdelaziz was proud of how much his serves have improved.

“I’ve been having some serving struggles throughout the beginning of the season, but it’s nice to see it slowly starting to come together,” said Abdelaziz.

As the Wolves continue to find their footing this season, Kooijman remains optimistic about their growth and the collective effort behind their victories.

“When people come to games, they see the familiar names, but what’s not always visible is the work everyone puts in — from the starting players to those on the bench, and our staff,” he said. “This win is a result of that collective effort.”

With the team’s momentum building and a new sense of unity, the Wolves hope to carry the positive energy into their upcoming matches.