NORTH BAY, Ont. – The Mohawk Mountaineers men's volleyball team secured a hard-fought road playoff victory, defeating the Canadore Panthers 3-2 in the OCAA qualifying round.

Entering the playoffs as the sixth seed in the OCAA West Division, Mohawk faced the third-seeded Panthers from the East Division.

In the first set, the Mountaineers raced out to a 5-1 lead, but the Panthers quickly fought back to tie it at 5-5. The two teams remained deadlocked at 10-10 before Canadore surged ahead with a 16-11 advantage. Mohawk couldn't respond, dropping the opening set 25-17.

The Mountaineers came out stronger in the second set, jumping to an early 7-1 lead. They extended the advantage to 15-4 and never looked back, winning the set 25-13 to tie the match at 1-1.

In set three, Mohawk again took an early 4-1 lead, but Canadore responded, evening the score at 4-4. The Mountaineers regained a 15-11 advantage, but the Panthers refused to go away. With Mohawk ahead 20-18, Canadore went on a 5-0 run to take a 23-20 lead and eventually claimed the set 25-21, giving them a 2-1 match lead.

The fourth set was tightly contested, with Mohawk eventually pulling ahead 16-12. Canadore responded to cut the deficit to 19-18. Despite the Panthers staying within striking distance, Mohawk managed to score the final two points, winning 25-22 to force a deciding fifth set.

In the fifth set, the Mountaineers jumped to a 6-2 lead, but Canadore fought back, narrowing the gap to 7-6. The set was tied at 9-9, and after Mohawk scored two straight points, the Panthers again equalized at 11-11. The teams traded leads until Mohawk reached match point at 14-12. Canadore kept the match alive with a point, making it 14-13, but the Mountaineers sealed the victory on their second match point attempt, winning 15-13 and advancing to the OCAA quarter-final round.

Mohawk's quarter-final matchup will be determined tomorrow when the Cambrian Shield host the Algonquin Wolves for a 1 p.m. match.