Panthers Grind Out Five Set Thriller
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Canadore | 25 | 18 | 25 | 22 | 18 | 3 |
|
Seneca | 15 | 25 | 21 | 25 | 16 | 2 |
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Canadore (8-3, 8-3) | 25 | 25 | 23 | 25 | 3 |
|
Durham (5-5, 5-5) | 15 | 15 | 25 | 23 | 1 |
North Bay, ON — The Canadore Panthers men's volleyball team completed a successful GTA road swing with two wins, edging Seneca in five sets on Saturday before closing the weekend with a 3–1 victory at Durham on Sunday. The sweep lifts Canadore to 8–3 on the season.
Match 1: Canadore 3, Seneca 2 (25–15, 18–25, 25–21, 22–25, 18–16) — Jan. 17 @ King
Canadore outlasted Seneca in a back-and-forth five-set battle, delivering clutch side-outs and blocks in extra points to take the deciding frame 18–16. The Panthers hit .339 as a team (52 kills) and were outstanding defensively with 63 digs and 10 solo blocks.
Panthers Leaders
- Sean Malherbe: 20 kills (.415), 13 digs, 3 solo blocks — match-high 23 points.
- Mason Begg: 12 kills, 2 solo blocks, 11 digs — 15 points.
- Hallen Ettles: 6 kills (.462), 3 solo blocks — 9 points.
- Konrad Siedlec: 6 kills (.333), 1 ace, 8 digs — 8 points.
- Khaled Bryant: 8 kills (.375), 1 ace — 9 points.
- Spencer Corston: 42 assists, 7 digs, 1 solo block.
Canadore's balanced attack answered big totals from Seneca's Logan Vorster (26 kills) and Baufy Mbaya Kongolo (17 kills), with the Panthers' block and first-contact consistency proving decisive late.
Match 2: Canadore 3, Durham 1 (25–15, 25–15, 23–25, 25–23) — Jan. 18 @ Oshawa
The Panthers imposed their will at the net, racking up 13 solo blocks and limiting Durham to .124 hitting. Canadore added 7 service aces and closed both the first and second sets on extended scoring runs to take a 2–0 lead, then sealed the match with late kills and blocks in the fourth.
Panthers Leaders
- Sean Malherbe: 13 kills, 1 ace — 15 points.
- Hallen Ettles: 6 kills, 4 solo blocks — 10 points.
- Khaled Bryant: 6 kills, 3 solo blocks, 1 ace — 10 points.
- Konrad Siedlec: 5 kills, 3 aces — 10 points.
- Mason Begg: 4 kills, 2 aces, 2 solo blocks — 8 points.
- Spencer Corston: 26 assists, 1 solo block.
Weekend Notes
- Malherbe's hot hand: 33 kills over two matches on .329 hitting (33-7-79).
- Setting the table: Spencer Corston totaled 68 assists with steady backcourt work (14 digs).
- Net dominance: Panthers combined for 23 solo blocks on the weekend (10 vs. Seneca, 13 vs. Durham).
- First contact & fight: Canadore posted 93 digs across both matches and won the fifth set at Seneca in extra points.
Next Up
Canadore returns home looking to build on its momentum. For schedules, and stats, visit canadorepanthers.ca and follow @canadore_panthers on social.