The Mohawk Mountaineers men's volleyball team will resume their 2022/23 season on Thursday night when they head on a 15-minute drive to play the Redeemer Royals at 8 p.m.

The game will be available to watch online through OCAA Live.

The Headline:

Prior to this season the matchup between the Mountaineers and Royals was fully controlled by Redeemer. The rival school had won the previous seven matchups between the two programs dating back to the 2017-18 season. However, the luck has begun to change for Mohawk, who not only won the last regular season match but also an earlier exhibition contest against Redeemer.

The Matchup:

Mohawk is still trying to find their consistent level of play this season. With a 5-4 record and fifth in the OCAA West Division, the Mountaineers have yet to win more than two games in a row. For any hope of hosting a playoff game come February, Mohawk will need to string victories together to jump into the top-four of the division.

On the other hand, the Royals jumped out to a 6-3 start and concluded the first half with two consecutive wins.

Defence will be a key to the game for the Mountaineers as the Royals enter the match with a .316 hitting percentage, that ranks second in the OCAA, and a leader-leading 460 kills. From a Mohawk perspective, defence has been a strong suit at the net, currently second in the league with 90 total blocks.

What Happened Last Time:

With a packed gym at Mohawk on November 5, these two teams played a back and forth five set match that went in the favour of the Mountaineers (25-17, 25-22, 23-25, 26-28, 15-13).

Anthony Beijes (Hamilton, ON) had a season-high 20 kills for Mohawk in the game and a .533 kill percentage. As a team, the Mountaineers combined for 21 blocks at the net.

The Royals had strong games from Brett Jenkins and Derick Breukelman, who each had 14 and 13 kills, respectively.

Who to Watch For:

Beijes and Jenkins will be the key matchup to watch in the contest. Beijes currently leads the OCAA with 3.45 kills per set and is third with 107 kills, while Jenkins is fourth with 3.28 kills per set and first with 128 kills.

What's Next:

Following this match, the Mountaineers are back on the road this weekend as they head to Windsor, ON to play the St. Clair Saints on Saturday at 1 p.m. They then return to the Mohawk court the following weekend to host the Boreal Vipers and Cambrian Golden Shield on Jan. 20 and 21.

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