Paterson Breaks Fanshawe Men’s Single Game Ace Record in Victory Over Niagara

(London, Ontario) The Falcons (7-3) battled the Niagara Knights (6-5) on Wednesday night and won the match by a commanding three sets to one. Outside hitter Tanner Paterson (Baden, ON) etched his name in the Falcons record book as he totaled 10 aces to break the single game Fanshawe Men's Volleyball record (regular season) which was previously held by Mike Birkett. The 10 aces contributed to an overall monster night for Paterson as he led Fanshawe with 25 points for the match.

The Birds started strong as Jayden Crowther (London, ON) got things opened in the first set with a huge block that had Fanshawe rolling. Zack Admans (St. Thomas, ON) and Matt Stechnicki (Mississauga, ON) formed a dynamic duo early as Stechnicki set up Admans for multiple kills in the set, lifting the Birds to a 25-12 set win.

Niagara showed some fight in the second set as the two teams traded points throughout. Fanshawe continued to feed their outside hitter Admans but Niagara's defence stepped up as they edged the Falcons 25-23 in set two.

The Knights built on their momentum in the third set, getting out to an early 7-4 lead that forced Fanshawe head coach Patrick Johnston to call timeout. Everything changed after the timeout as the Birds began to dominate. Fanshawe closed the set on a 21-4 run to comeback and claim the third by a comfortable score of 25-11.

The Falcons' gameplan revolved around Stechnicki setting up his teammates, which proved to be a winning formula. Stechnicki collected 44 assists on the night, most of which were to his teammates Admans who had 18 kills, Paterson who had 14 kills, and Crowther who picked up 11 kills. Fanshawe's excellent attacking play earned them a 25-21 win in the fourth set and a three set to one victory over the Knights.

The Falcons will be back in action on Saturday November 30^th , as they prepare to take on the Sheridan Bruins (3-6) at Glenn Johnson Athletic Centre at 3:00p.m.

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