SENECA 3, BOREAL 1

There is no easy game on the schedule.

The Seneca Sting nearly found that out the hard way after struggling against a quality Boreal Vipers team. Boreal took Seneca to the brink in the fourth set before the Sting closed out the match.

In the opening set, Seneca kept the Vipers at a distance thanks to an offensive showing by Jordan Darlington. Leading 21-15, Darlington had back-to-back blocks which led to a Vipers timeout. Seneca maintained the momentum out of the timeout and won the set following a missed serve, 25-18.

Seneca jumped out to a lead early in the second set. Up 11-4, Boreal started a rally thanks to some strong serving by Jordan Smith, who had two aces, in getting his team to within two points. Matt McGirr ended the Vipers run with a powerful kill. McGirr followed up with a pair of aces to give the Sting an 18-10 lead. Following a kill by Vladyslav Danyliuk, McGirr struck with two more aces as Seneca won the set 25-14.

In what would become a very even and entertaining final two sets, Seneca led 20-19 following a kill by Danyliuk. Ryan Sheerahamed had a kill to give Seneca a 22-20 lead before Boreal's Julien Gascon took the team on his shoulders. Gascon had a kill which was answered by an uncontested kill by Darlington. Gascon responded with another kill which sent him to the serving line.  Back-to-back aces led to a Seneca timeout as Boreal looked to win just their sixth set of the season. Darlington stopped the slide with a kill out of the timeout, but a missed serve gave the Vipers the opportunity they needed. Boreal won the set 26-24 to keep their hopes alive.

The back and forth match continued as no team led by more than a single point after 7-5 until Boreal took a 21-19 lead. A Sting timeout momentarily stopped the Vipers' run, but a tip by Marc Leclair gave Boreal a 22-20 lead. Seneca's front court, looking to avoid a fifth set, took control as Danyliuk had a kill followed by a block and kill by Darlington. The later forced a Boreal timeout with the Sting leading 24-22. A missed serve would prove inconsequential as Darlington put an exclamation point on one of his best games in a Sting uniform with another thunderous kill.

Darlington finished the match with 13 kills and five blocks. McGirr had eight kills and five aces to go along with Danyliuk's nine kills and two aces. Gabriel Harrietha had eight digs for the second-place Sting.

Leclair paced the Vipers with 11 kills while Gascon finished with seven kills and two aces. Smith had two aces and two blocks. Defensively, Eric Cayen and Martin Gauthier each finished with seven digs.

The Seneca Sting (14-2) will travel to play the George Brown Huskies (11-4) on Wednesday at 8 p.m. while the Boreal Vipers (0-13) will play at George Brown (11-4) tomorrow at 3 p.m.

Source: Seneca College