Men's Volleyball dominates on the road to sweep George Brown
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Humber | 25 | 25 | 26 | 3 |
|
George Brown | 19 | 17 | 24 | 0 |
By: Fernando Bossoes
Humber Athletics Communications
TORONTO – With eyes on capturing a spot in the quarter-final match, Humber men's volleyball (13-6, 5th West) cruised past the George Brown Huskies (11-8, 4th East) in straight sets (25-19, 25-17, 26-24) as they visited the Alex Barbier Gymnasium. The Hawks now wait on the outcomes of another crossover match to determine their next opponent. Outside hitter Jaskarn Kalsi was George Brown's worst nightmare, capturing a game-high 14 points and an impressive career-high eight blocks solo.
Match Recap
On the road to meet the Huskies for the first time in the postseason, Humber arrived in Toronto on a high after finishing the regular season on a three-winning streak. On the other side of the net, George Brown entered the matchup on a downtrend, having suffered back-to-back sweeps and concluding their regular season with two consecutive losses. Yet, the Huskies had notched eight more wins than the previous season and were determined to secure a spot in the quarter-final round.
Despite being the visitors in this one, the Hawks were feeling very comfortable away from their home crowd, putting on a neck-to-neck game against George Brown early in the set – senior player Jaskarn Kalsi paced the offence for the Hawks with four points. Humber would open a four-point lead after Brampton-native player Kyle Gray-Phillips left the Huskies howling with frustration with an unstoppable ace; the Hawks led 17-13. Looking to trim the lead down and bring this set back to their hands, George Brown would make a late push. However, the Hawks did not let the Huskies get close on the score and Marcus Morgan would fly high to drive a massive spike down the floor to close the set to Humber 25-19.
As the Hawks were back to the second set, Marcus Morgan was determined to put on a defensive show after a great offensive performance in the first. The second-year player would soar his arms over the net to stop George Brown's spikes with back-to-back blocks, setting Humber up 4-2. The Huskies tried to push back with a bite, evening the match up 4-4, but the Hawks flapped their wings faster, leaving George Brown grounded with a five-point lead as the score read 14-9 for Humber. Roars from fans in the crowd seemed to have fed George Brown, as they would score four consecutive points and trim the lead down to one. The Huskies were barking, trying to sink their teeth into a set victory, but the Hawks would increase their offensive pace with Teyven Blackmore tipping over a double block to calmly drive the ball to deep black zone, leaving the Huskies chasing feathers on a 25-17 set win.
As both teams returned to the third, the crowd saw a back-and-forth clash throughout the entire set. After an intense game of chess, with points being traded, the Huskies would find their best performance mid-way through the set, building up a 17-12 lead. George Brown was on the verge of winning the third set as the score read 24-20. However, the Hawks did not fear the loud barks from the Huskies – Humber would score four points in a row as Brazilian native Gabriel Mendes and Jaskarn Kalsi tied the match up 24-24. Kalsi was having himself a night. He would dive to save a ball and block an attack right after to put Humber by a narrow one point from closing the set. The senior player from Rexdale knows when to step up and lead the Hawks in essential moments. He would raise his arms triumphantly to stop a powerful attack that booked Humber a spot in the quarter-final round and showed the Huskies who were at the top of the pecking order on the volleyball court.
Humber Highlights
- The Hawks improve to 6-0 all-time against George Brown.
- Humber is now 11-3 all-time in the crossover round.
- This matchup marked the first postseason meeting between Humber and George Brown.
- The Hawks now hold an OCAA postseason winning streak of 13 consecutive matches.
- The Hawks improve to 66-45 all-time playoff record.
- Coach Wilkins now has 60th OCAA postseason victories.
- Jaskarn Kalsi's eight blocks solo were a career-high.
What's next?
The Hawks have now advanced to the quarter-final round and will head on the road to take on top-seed Conestoga. Follow the Hawks on Instagram @humberhawks for more updates as they look to defend their provincial title.
