Maddy Coffin
Blues Crew Communications
The Capilano Blues opened the second half of their season against the visiting Douglas College Royals at home in the Centre for Sport and Wellness. The entire match was a nail-biter, with points going back and forth in every set, keeping fans on the edge of their seats for all five sets.
In the first set, middle blocker Reese Nowotny led an onslaught of kills that kept the Blues competitive with the Royals early on. Outside hitters Luke Tiegen and Shub Wander also added key kills, showcasing the team’s offensive strength. The Blues called a timeout at 13–15 to reset, and Brayden Labossiere came in to handle setter duties. His sets helped Wander and outside hitter Kai Haley Lo Yan produce further impressive kills. A kill by Nowotny set up by Labossiere, forced the Royals to call a timeout at 20–20. Despite the Blues effort, the first set ultimately went to the Royals.
The second set saw Wander continue to dominate offensively, while libero Connor Collinson-Lea contributed with digs that allowed Haley Lo Yan to keep the score balanced. A big block by Tiegen put the Blues ahead 24–23, forcing the Royals to call a timeout, but the Blues held on to take the set 29–27.
In the third set, Wander and Labossiere continued to impress, connecting effectively with middle blockers Nowotny and Middleton. Labossiere and Collinson-Lea also provided solid defensive support, fending off the Royals’ attacks. Back-to-back blocks by Middleton forced a Royals timeout at 22–20. The Blues ultimately took the third set.
The fourth set saw Tiegen continue to dominate with multiple kills during long rallies that electrified the gym. Back-to-back aces by Haley Lo Yan gave the Blues a 21–18 lead, prompting yet another Royals timeout. However, this reset gave the Royals momentum with the visitors snagging the set.
In the fifth and final set, the Blues showed no signs of letting up. Rally after rally, they fought for every point. Labossiere set up Tiegen for a monster kill that brought the score to 14–13 and forced a Royals timeout. This stoppage of play, however, didn’t provide any aid for Douglas, as Nowotny sealed the match with the final kill, giving the Blues the hard-fought victory.
Throughout the match, multiple players saw valuable court time, including outside hitters Kingsley Ndu and Torin Quan, as well as middle blocker Simon Russo. A collective team win such as this to start off the new year shows exciting signs for what the remainder of the season has left to offer.
The Blues will face the Royals again on Saturday, Jan 10, at 7 p.m. at CapU's Centre for Sport and Wellness.
