HAWKS RIDE PAST MOHAWK ON COUNTRY NIGHT
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Mohawk ( ) | 19 | 17 | 23 | 0 |
|
Humber ( ) | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
By: Natalie Stoberman
The no. 3 Humber Hawks (16-0, 1st West) reeled in their fifth straight three set sweep at the hands of the visiting Mohawk Mountaineers (6-1, 8th West). The Mountaineers came out firing on all cylinders and were close throughout the match but the Hawks were on top 25-19, 25-17 and 25-23. Thalia Hanniman (Pembroke) tied for a game-high with eight kills in the match.
The Hawks bolted to an early lead with a strong kill to set the momentum. But Mohawk was ready to answer back and relentlessly kept themselves within arm's reach, managing to tie the set 9-9. Once the Hawks realized what the competition was building, Humber tacked on a handful of kills to space themselves 17-12. But the Mountaineers were playing smart defence with incredible positioning on the court that no matter how hard the Hawks swung at the net, Mohawk was there for the dig. That was until middle Alley Newman's (Kitchener) quick chute turned the set around and Humber brought their A-Game on offence and defence. Both squads went at it for one of the longest rallies the Nest has seen all season that continued for nearly ten returns. Left side Brynne Coleman (Sparta) put an end to the rally with a clever tip that the Hawks built on to take a 22-16 lead. Humber took the set 25-19.
Humber regained their confidence for the next set and had another brilliant start right off the hop. Captains Newman and Hanniman put the team on their shoulders and combined for a handful of kills but were also blocking threats at the net. The squad rallied behind their leaders and took the second set 25-17.
Setter Brittany Vanderlaan (Stoney Creek) kicked off a 4-0 lead thanks to her reliable serves that counted for an ace. But Humber's lead didn't last long and the Mountaineers left the Hawks in the dust with their first lead of the match of 14-11. But through genuine teamwork, the Hawks were able to bounce back with Hanniman leading the way at the service stripe with consecutive aces. Humber was back on top 17-14, but not without one last challenge from the Mountaineers to tie the set at 19 points apiece. This time the Hawks weren't phased by Mohawk's comeback and eventually put them away 25-23 to win the match.
The Hawks hit the road one last time for the regular season when the visit the Fanshawe Falcons (12-5, 2nd West) in London on Feb. 13 at 1 p.m. The game will be live streamed here:
https://www.fanshawec.ca/athletics/watch-live
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