LANCERS SHOW MAJOR IMPROVEMENT IN 19/20 SEASON
The 2019-20 Loyalist College men's volleyball team posted a 9-9 overall record, the best since the 2013-14 season.
" We started off with a great exhibition season, but had a slow start to the regular season" says Head Coach Chris Jenkins. "We really started to gel by mid season and continued to improve until the end".
Great exhibition season, slow start to the regular season but gelled by mid season and continued to improve until the end. 4 first year starters, 2 second year starters and Josh. 5 of those starters are returning. Andrew was recruited as a left side but transitioned into the middle.
Loyalist started their season off strong by beating Centennial 3-0 in straight sets. They would finish the first half of the season with a 2-6 record.
The Lancers bounced back in the second half and finished with a 6-3 record. Two of the team's second half losses were hard fought, heartbreaking 5 set thrillers against the Canadore Panthers and Durham Lords. To conclude the regular season the Lancers rattled off three consecutive wins that pushed the squad into a playoff positions for the first time in 6 years.
The Lancers entered the OCAA postseason as the seventh seed in the East Division, matching them up with the second seed in the West - the 14-4 Conestoga Condors. The Lancers battled hard but couldn't overcome the tough Conestoga Condors team, who rolled to a straight sets victory, ending the Lancers second.
" Four of our starting players were first year guys, two were second year and one was a 4th year. Five of those guys are returning, which bodes well for our future" continues Coach Jenkins.
Second-year setter Savino Marques dominated in his first year with the Lancers, running a dynamic offense that kept the team competitive and unpredictable. Marques was selected to OCAA Men's Volleyball East Division Second-Team All-Star for the first time in his career after finishing third in the OCAA in total assists with 563.
Fourth-year senior Josh Roberts, joined Marques on the OCAA Men's Volleyball East Division Second-Team All-Star Team, finishing sixth in the conference in kills per set with 3.42 and a .416 hitting average while leading the team in each of the respective categories. He recorded a season-high 23 kills against Canadore, recording an impressive .477 hit percentage on the game.
The rookie duo of Riley Litwiller and Andrew Hudgins provided the Lancers with a spark throughout the season as they were both crucial pieces. Hudgins and Litwiller were both named to the OCAA Men's Volleyball East Division All-Rookie Team.