HAWKS HIT ROAD ON WEDNESDAY FOR KEY BATTLE WITH NIAGARA
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Humber ( ) | 25 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
|
Niagara ( ) | 16 | 26 | 17 | 18 | 1 |
WELLAND, ON: The Humber Hawks women's volleyball team, currently undefeated and ranked number two in the CCAA National rankings, will hit the road on Wednesday in a key matchup with the second place and 9-2 Niagara Knights. The first serve, from the Niagara College Athletic Centre, will fly at 6:00 pm.
The Hawks head into the game with a perfect 10-0 mark, and a win over the host Knights would catapult the Humber squad closer to the West Division title. On the other hand, a Niagara win would further secure their hold on second and a first round play-off bye, and open the door for a division crown of their own.
Humber comes into the game with an unblemished record, as noted above, but even more impressive is the fact that they have only dropped three sets all season. The Sheridan Bruins forced the Hawks to five sets in the season opener, and then took a set from Humber last week. Beyond the matchups with the Bruins, Humber has been perfect by going 3-0 in each match. The visiting Hawks swept the Knights comfortably on home court, by scores of 25-16, 25-17 and 25-16.
Niagara is also on a roll, winners of four straight since the loss to Humber. The latest was a 3-1 road win over the St. Clair Saints in Windsor. The loss was particularly hard for the Saints, as they are in a battle for the last play-off spot. As with any sport, the second half of the season is filled with important games, with all teams jockeying for final play-off seeding.
There has been one significant change to the Niagara Knights squad as the second semester begun. Exiting is head coach Joey Martins, and coming in is long time Niagara staff member and former Knights Athletic Director Ray Sarkis. Sarkis inherits a solid club, and he has already put his mark on the team by tweaking the line-up.
Humber's Thalia Hanniman, winner of almost every individual award last season, including Player of the Year, is back among the OCAA leaders in scoring. Her 4.5 point per set puts her in second place in the league, and is above her league leading mark in the 2014-15 season. The break has allowed the Hawks to get healthy and bring back some key players, at key positions. Brynne Coleman, in her first game in over a year, contribute 10 kills. Former U of Toronto standout Devan O'Conner has returned as well, and OCAA All Star Kelsey Kovar may be back on the court before season's end.
Niagara features a balanced attack, with six players all above 2 pps. They are led by Rachel Rivers, and her mark of 2.9. Devon Lowes checks in right behind Rivers, with a solid average of 2.8 pps.
You can watch the game live, courtesy of Niagara College:
http://www.goknights.ca/watchlive
