York Lions Headed East – An All-Canadian Match-up
September 19, 2013
The York University Lions are headed East for a couple of CIS Men's Volleyball pre-season exhibition matches against the UNB Varsity Reds. York, who had a strong showing in their conference last season before losing in the OUA semifinals to the eventual champions McMaster, will square off on Friday and Sunday against the defending AUS champion Varsity Reds.
These matches will feature two CIS First Team All-Canadians, as York's 4th year outside hitter, Ray Szeto, will be going head-to-head against UNB's 5th year outside hitter, Julio Fernandez. Szeto was an OUA first-team all-star, finishing second in scoring in their conference with 4.41 points per set, while Fernandez was the AUS MVP, also finishing second in scoring with 3.8 points per set.
Szeto, originally from Sutton, ON, now has some roots in NB, as his family moved to Tracadie-Sheila, NB only a few years ago, so he now gets to experience vacations and holidays on the East Coast in northwestern New Brunswick. This weekend's matches against the Varsity Reds mark the first time he will get a chance to play in front of his family since joining the Lions.
The matches will also be the earliest the Varsity Reds have taken to the floor for pre-season competition, but head coach Dan McMorran is excited with the opportunity. "Being able to play a quality OUA program like York this early in the season will be a great chance to see where we are and where we need to be. We wanted to add a couple of extra matches to our exhibition schedule at the Currie Center, and York seemed to be the perfect fit, as we've been to their Christmas tournament several times and they've never had a chance to come East."
The Varsity Reds will play the Lions this Friday, September 20th at 6:00pm, then on Sunday, September 22nd at 3:30pm. All matches are at the Richard J. CURRIE CENTER, and Sunday's match will be webcast.