Thursday, February 22nd will see the Niagara Knights men's volleyball program (10-8, 4th OCAA West) look to silence the hometown crowd as they open day one against the OCAA Men's Volleyball Championship hosting Georgian Grizzlies (17-1, 1st OCAA East). The Knights hope to continue their impressive play after defeating the OCAA East Division Durham Lords in three straight sets.
After finishing 1st place in the OCAA East Division, all the pressure is on the Championship hosting Grizzlies to perform in front of the hometown crowd. Niagara must enter Thursday's matchup ready to compete against a program that only has winning expectations.
The key to success for the visiting Knights is finding ways to shutdown Georgian's star outside hitter Ryan DeBruyn. The fifth year player out of Ottawa, Ontario has been impressive this season for the Grizzlies, averaging 4 points per set through 16 matches.
Georgian's high powered offence demands a strong defense performance from the Knights, starting with their first year libero Robert Zalewski (Ingersoll, Ont.). The rookie has been outstanding in his first season with the Knights, racking up a total of 161 digs across 18 regular season games. A strong defensive performance from Zalewski could be a major factor during Thursday night's affair.
This year's 2018 OCAA Men's Volleyball Championship presented by belairdirect will operate from Thursday, February 22nd to Saturday, February 24th out of the Georgian College Athletic and Fitness Centre in Barrie, Ontario. The winner Niagara's matchup will play the victor of Thursday's quarter final between Conestoga and Humber (6pm). Tip off between the Georgian and Niagara is scheduled for 8pm.