The University of Toronto Varsity Blues men's volleyball team beat the Windsor Lancers 3-1 (28-26, 23-25, 25-17, 25-12) in the U SPORTS consolation semifinal on Saturday (Mar. 18) afternoon at Burridge Gymnasium in Hamilton, Ont.
 
With the win, the Blues will face the winner of the Saskatchewan and Montreal in the consolation final on Sunday at 1 p.m. 
 
"I thought the guys really showed a lot of determination and patience to come in here and play against a team we lost to in the OUA semifinal," said Varsity Blues head coach John Barrett. "We competed really well yesterday, played very well against the number one team in the country, but we lost. To piggyback on to that effort, we really wanted to show that our brand of volleyball is consistent and decent, and we have the desire to keep getting better. It was great to see the determination, I didn't have much doubt when I saw the looks on their faces today. They didn't want the tournament to end today, and they had to beat the team that they lost to in the semifinal."

TORONTO STATS: The Blues were led by outside hitter Mitchell Neuert who finished the game with 27 points, including, a game-high, 24 kills and 11 digs. The Toronto native was also named Blues player of the game.
 
Fourth-year left side Evan Falardeau tallied 18 points. He finished the game with 16 kills and eight digs. Second-year setter Davis Young set up the Blues tonight with a game-high 47 assists. 

HOW IT HAPPENED: Despite their loss on Thursday, the Blues came out with confidence, keeping up with the Lancers fast pace. While neither team took a large lead in the first set, the Blues came out victorious winning 28-26.
 
Following a similar path as the first set, the Blues and Lancers battled hard in the second, trading points throughout the sets with long rallies and diving saves. The Lancers would go on to take the second set 25-23. 
 

The Hustle!

The Blues open the second set with the first point!

TOR 1 | WSR 0
2ND SET | 1-0

WE ALL #BLEEDBLUE | #WeAreTO pic.twitter.com/fFtAXjElx6

— U of T Varsity Blues (@Varsity_Blues) March 18, 2023

 
Toronto picked up their pace in the third set, taking a commanding 11-6 lead early, forcing the Lancers to call a timeout. The Blues would not Windsor back into the set, extending their lead to 22-14, before taking the set 25-17. 
 
Holding the momentum of the game, U of T continued to push in the fourth set, with a spot in the consolation finals on the line. The Blues would lead 13-7 midway through the set, before securing the win with a score of 25-12.