Excalibur Weekend Wrap-up (Nov 12-14): Excalibur volleyball show optimism and strong play, women's team earn season's first win
The Trent Excalibur varsity volleyball teams were back in action from the Trent Athletics Centre this past weekend, making sure to put on a show in their matchups against the RMC Paladins.
Kicking off the action on Friday, the Excalibur women's volleyball team set the tone early, with a convincing, straight set (26-24, 25-23, 25-19) victory over the visiting Paladins. Co-captain Genna Saunders led the Excalibur offensively with 11 kills while Taya Knier led the way defensively with a game-high 5 block assists.
Travelling to Kingston for the rematch against the Paladins on Sunday, the women's team continued to ride the momentum, needing the full five sets to come up with a 3-2 win (25-11, 22-25, 25-14,13-25, 15-12). Libero Jade Butterworth had a strong game, leading with a game-high 11 digs while bringing the energy on-and-off the court.
Following the women's games, the Excalibur men's volleyball team had another solid match in front of the home crowd. Flying out of the gates, the Excalibur claimed the early 1-0 set lead with a dominant 25-15 score, before the Paladins stormed back to take the match in four sets (25-15, 25-23, 25-22, 25-22). Excalibur Ryan Austin had a game-high 15 kills, while the group showed great teamwork, coming together for a total of 16 block assists.
In their second game, the Excalibur once again kept their opponents close, winning the second set 29-27 in a four-set loss (28-30, 29-27, 25-21, 24-26) to the Paladins. Ryan Austin kept his strong weekend play going, leading the game with 17 kills, with teammate Nic Badalato closely behind with 13 kills.
The Excalibur volleyball teams will have a weekend off before they get set to host the Univerity of Toronto Varsity Blues at the Trent Athletics Centre Friday, November 26 and Sunday, November 28. Tickets are available for all students, friends, and family! Register today to reserve your seat to cheer on your Trent Excalibur!
Follow all the action by visiting our Trent Excalibur Varsity page and follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for our latest updates from the 1Excalibur.