GRIZZLIES MEN’S VOLLEYBALL QUALIFY FOR PROVINCIAL CHAMPIONSHIP

The Georgian Grizzlies men's volleyball team hosted the St. Clair Saints in an OCAA crossover playoff matchup on Saturday afternoon at the Georgian Athletic Centre.

It was a tense matchup between two teams who desperately wanted to qualify for the provincial championship.

The Grizzlies got off to a great start and looked to be in cruise control as they took the first two sets 25-17 and 25-20. In the third set the Saints showed great resilience battling back to take a tight set 25-22.

The Saints were able to then take the fourth set 28-26 in extra points to set up a fifth and deciding tiebreak.

In a back-and-forth fifth set the Grizzlies were able to surge late when it mattered taking the tiebreak set 15-13 to win the match 3-2.  

Kaelan Kloetstra (London) had an incredible game, scoring a season high 25 points from 24 kills and one ace while Samuel Thorup (St Marys) had 14 points from 11 kills and three aces.

Georgian's Gibson Graham (Markham) was also solid with 42 assists and leading the team with six aces.

The Grizzlies will now be one of the final eight teams who compete at the 2020 OCAA Men's Volleyball Championship which will take place February 27-29 hosted at Fleming College in Peterborough.

Georgian will open the championship on Thursday, Feb. 27 when they take on the winner of the George Brown Huskies/Niagara Knights crossover playoff game at 8 p.m.

For more information about the 2020 OCAA Men's Volleyball Championship visit the championship website.