Quarter-Finals Bound! Fanshawe Tops George Brown in Playoff Crossover Matchup
The Falcons men’s volleyball team (11-5, 3rd West) opened their playoff journey at home inside the Glenn Johnston Athletic Centre on February 14 for a Valentine’s Day matchup against the visiting OCAA East Division sixth seed, George Brown Huskies (9-8).
(London, ON) – The Falcons men's volleyball team (11-5, 3rd West) opened their playoff journey at home inside the Glenn Johnston Athletic Centre on February 14 for a Valentine's Day matchup against the visiting OCAA East Division sixth seed, George Brown Huskies (9-8). Fanshawe was tested throughout the match but delivered a four-set victory, 25-18, 25-20, 23-25, 25-20.
The Falcons came out strong in the opening set, building an early five-point cushion. Fifth-year senior Tanner Paterson (Baden, ON) led the charge, rising high for a number of his 15 kills on the evening. Behind a strong attack, Fanshawe claimed the first set 25-18.
The Birds continued to roll in the second set. Another fifth-year senior, Jayden Crowther (London, ON), was dominant on both sides of the net, finishing with 14 points, including four blocks, while posting an uber-efficient .571 kill percentage. Crowther's strong play helped the Falcons take the second set 25-20.
The third set saw the visiting Huskies push back. Both teams traded points throughout the frame until George Brown rattled off three straight points to create separation late. Fanshawe was unable to recover from a 22-18 deficit, dropping the tightly contested set 25-23.
Fanshawe responded well in the fourth. While the set featured more back-and-forth action, the Huskies had no answer for Silas Carr (Ripley, ON), who was unstoppable from the middle. Setter Jakob Curtis was an offensive maestro, finishing the match with 41 assists as Carr delivered multiple emphatic finishes. The Falcons regrouped after the third-set scare and closed out the fourth 25-20 to secure the match three sets to one.
Next up, the Falcons will advance to the quarter-finals, hitting the road to face the OCAA East Division's second seed, the Georgian Grizzlies (14-3), on Saturday, February 21. Having not faced any East Division opponents during the regular season, both sides will enter with some unknowns. Fans can livestream the match at ocaa.com/live.
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