SHERIDAN 3, MOHAWK 2

OAKVILLE, Ont. - The standard way to win in any sport is to be flat-out better than your opponent. Sometimes things don't work that way though and you have to rely on a bit of luck and some timely performances.

Such was the case for the Sheridan Bruins men's volleyball team (20-11, 10-5 OCAA) who - despite a roller coaster first four sets - came out on fire in the fifth set to secure a hard-fought 3-2 win over Mohawk.

"At times we played really well and at other times we didn't compete hard enough," Sheridan head coach Dave McAllister said. "In the fifth set, because it was going great, we competed hard and played really well. But in three of the four sets before that, [Mohawk] out-hustled us, out-played us, out-engaged us and probably deserved a bit of a better fate. But we still had the lead and then played a great fifth set."

The two sides played the first four sets in a dead heat as both sides scored exactly 95 points and each won a pair of sets.

Sheridan won the first (28-26) and third (25-22), while Mohawk claimed the second (25-23) and fourth (25-22) to set up the critical fifth set.

There, the two sides took a few minutes to feel each other out, but while tied at 3-3 the Double-Blue scored points off of blocks on three straight serves to ignite a 7-0 run that gave them a commanding 10-3 lead and propelled them to a 15-6 win.

Statistically the two sides were near mirror images of each other, with Sheridan holding slim advantages in four of five categories - 65-61 in kills, 5-3 in aces, 83-77 in total offence and 49-45 in digs - while both had 13 stuff blocks.

Josh Butler scored a match-high 23 points (19 kills, two aces, two blocks) while Jeremy Fantin (18 kills, one ace, three blocks) and Brandon Rivera (11 kills, four blocks) both posted double-digit point totals.

Setter Jessy Satti chipped in both offensively (four kills, two aces, one block) while also digging up 13 balls.

Cody Williams also hit double figures with 11 digs, while Jeremy Fantin's 10 digs to go with 22 points was his first double-double of the season.

The club has a tough road swing ahead, travelling to Fanshawe on Feb. 9 and St. Clair on Feb. 10.

Blue notes: This marks the second straight year that Mohawk and Sheridan have had the exact same scoreline in each of their two meetings. Last year Mohawk swept the season series with a pair of 3-0 victories, while Sheridan swept this year's with 3-2 wins.

Source: Sheridan I.T.