The Nipissing Lakers men's volleyball pulled themselves back into the thick of the playoff picture with a key win Sunday afternoon.

The win not only put them back into third place, but also snapped a four match losing streak that saw them drop from first to a third place tie.

Now, thanks to the weekend split, they are currently ranked third, only four points out of first, but six clear of fifth place Toronto, who is on the outside looking in.

Saturday, the Lakers fell in straight sets to the undefeated McMaster Marauders.

Nipissing hung tough, losing 25-17, 25-15 and 25-18, but were unable to hand the Marauders their first loss of the season.

Steve Wood led the Lakers attack with seven kills, while Cameron Branch and Lyndon Sonego each added six in the loss.

On Sunday, Nipissing bounced back and came up with a gritty victory, earning the weekend split on the road.

The Lakers defeated the Brock Badgers in four sets, winning the first two 25-19 and 25-12 before dropping the third set 25-20.

In the fourth, the Lakers closed things out with a tough 25-23 victory.

Branch had a big match, picking up 15 kills, Wood added 13, Sonego had nine and Jack Peckham added eight in the win.

Now, the Lakers hold a 9-5 record, looking to secure their first OUA post-season berth.

Nipissing remains on the road, taking on RMC and Queens in Kingston this weekend, before wrapping up the regular season with a pair of home matches Feb. 24 and 25.