By: Pedro Casellatto

After a successful tournament, given the conditions and challenges of playing with a short roster, the Centennial Men's Volleyball team is now back for the first regular season game of 2024. They will be travelling to Ottawa for one of the most important matches of the year against the Algonquin Wolves this Saturday at 6:00 p.m. at the Jack Doyle Athletics & Recreation Centre. Both teams will fight to stay in the dispute for first place in the division.

In the first game between these two teams, the Colts came from behind and were able to close the game in four sets, giving the Wolves their first loss. Considering the events of the first game, the second game promises to be a true battle, not only for the first place but also to close unfinished matters. The Colts seem excited about this challenge, and according to the third-year libero, Zachary Orat, the tournament they played earlier this month gave them the confidence boost they needed. "We grew a lot as a team during that tournament. We fought adversities, defeated top-seated teams, and now we have the chance to show what we learned," said Orat.

Currently, the Wolves and the Colts have the same 9-2 record and are tied for second, as the Georgian Grizzlies already won their first game of 2024. This match will be decisive to keep both teams on the run for first place, and the winner will remain tied for first with the Grizzlies. The Colts must bring the same energy and mentality they have been showing in previous matchups, as the goal is to be first. To achieve that, both the Colts and the Wolves need to win the rest of their games and hope for a stumble by the Grizzlies.

We hope to see the same team that we saw in the Niagara tournament, enjoying the game and giving the fans a great spectacle. We are also excited to see the outcome of this match, which involves a lot of competitiveness and rivalry. It will definitely be a must-watch volleyball match filled with expectations.