Men’s volleyball: Wolves dominate the Durham Lords in a hard-fought match at home

The Wolves men’s volleyball team extended its win streak to five games after beating the Durham Lords 3-1 on Jan. 24 at the Jack Doyle Athletics and Recreation Centre.

The Wolves beat Canadore, Centennial, George Brown and La Cité, so it wasn’t looking good for the Lords as they rolled into Ottawa on a three-game losing streak

The Wolves won the first set 25-19, and Durham won the second 25-22. The Wolves dominated the following sets, overwhelming the Lords on both defence and offence.

Wolves setter Noaki Nakashima, who was named player of the game, said he knew it wasn’t going to be an easy win and that the Lords were going to give them a good fight.

“I knew they were going to give us a challenge. They’re a great team. I know we did beat them in the past, but we always have to fight for it, like any team in this league,” said Nakashima.

Wolves coach Jelle Kooijman said things really started to turn around for the team in the third set.

“I think we did a lot of good things in the first set, but we got away, especially on the serving side. We didn’t have enough pressure on them to receive. We started to change that around in the third set, and that’s where I realized if we can do that, that’s gonna be the key to the game,” Kooijman said.

The Wolves’ performance was highlighted by their ability to stay composed and execute under pressure. After dropping the second set, the team responded with focus, showing discipline and confidence in one another.

Their communication on the court was consistent, allowing them to limit forced errors and maintain control throughout the remainder of the match. They took advantage of playing on their home court, showing confidence and composure in each set, taking command of the game.