Hawks keep playoff hopes alive
Woodie Brown

The Battle of Waterloo, volleyball style, was fought last Friday night on the hardwood floor at Laurier's Athletic Complex.

The last time these teams met this year, the Hawks blew a 2-0 lead and fell to defeat. Trailing the Warriors by four points for the last playoff spot, the Hawks were looking to avenge this defeat with the outcome having significant playoff implications. The urgency of the situation showed in the Hawks play as they dominated Waterloo and posted a 3-0 victory.

"They are finally playing the way they should be," commented an elated Hawks head coach Paul Paven.

The first game saw the Hawks fall into an early deficit. With a large number of Waterloo supporters in the crowd, it seemed as if it was a Warrior home game. As Laurier fell behind, the fans got louder and louder. Laurier seemed unable to return the Waterloo spikes and could not get the big shots to score points.

However, after the first break, the Hawks made several great shots to tie the game at eight. Ryan Te Boekhorst made some perfectly placed short shots that gave the Hawks the lead. They started overpowering Waterloo with some strong spikes, managing to turn away similar spikes from the Warriors. During one electrifying rally, Ryan Brown made two blocks and then spiked the ball to put the Hawks in control. With the Hawks up 14-9, Kelsey Orth scored an excellent serving ace, giving Laurier the game one victory.

Laurier continued to play well in the second game and had an early 6-3 lead. Not to be outdone, the Warrior's fought back, forcing many long rallies. Both teams made some incredible digs to keep the ball alive.

After a long stretch of great volleyball, the Warriors finally tied the game at six, which is all the scoring that Waterloo would be able to muster. The Hawks turned it up a notch, making many important blocks and using their power to dominate the contest. This pressure caused Waterloo to make too many mistakes, and it cost them the game. Typically, Waterloo was called for a carry on match point, and the Hawks won game two 15-6.

The third game saw everything go Laurier's way. They were hustling and making impressive shots to take an 8-5 lead. Mid-way through the game, there was an argument on a side-out call that originally went to the Warriors. After some discussion, the referee gave the point to Laurier instead. That sparked a big argument between the two teams that lasted for a couple minutes.

When play finally resumed, the Hawks continued to control the game. In a fit of rage, Waterloo coach Doug Hanes kicked his chair to inspire the players. Instead, it only made the crowd laugh at him. Laurier managed to build a 13-7 lead on the strength of the play of Te Boekhorst, who used his power and finesse to deliver the goods for the Hawks. He spiked the ball into wide open spaces, or just tapped it over the blockers to surprise the defence. The Hawks won game three 15-8 to give them the 3-0 victory in the match.

"Ryan Brown and Ryan Te Boekhorst played great tonight… they were standouts," noted coach Paven. On the question of making the playoffs, Pavan feels the Hawks still have a good chance,

"If Waterloo loses to the teams they should lose to and we can keep up this play, we will make the playoffs," Pavan said. The Hawks now sit at 3-5, two points behind the Warriors. Both teams have two games remaining, with the Hawks in Guelph today to take on the Gryphons, and back home next Wednesday against McMaster, game time 8:00 p.m.

Laurier women's volleyball squad posted a 3-0 victory over the Brock Badgers last Wednesday. The win moves the team to 6-3 and into a tie for third place in the OUA west division. This team is also in action tonight in Guelph and will host an invitational tournament this Saturday at the A.C.