HAWKS ROLL TO QUARTERFINAL 3-0 WIN OVER ALGONQUIN
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Algonquin ( ) | 14 | 15 | 15 | 0 |
|
Humber ( ) | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
NORTH BAY, ON: The defending champion Humber Hawks dominated the Algonquin Thunder in the OCAA Quarter Finals by a score of 3-0 (25-14, 25-15, 25-15).
By: Natalie Stoberman
The Hawks began the OCAA tournament by sweeping the Algonquin Thunder in blowout wins. Humber hit for 36 kills with Thalia Hanniman leading her squad with seven kills in addition to three aces. Player of the Game Brittany Vanderlaan also had a solid night on the court through her skillful passing, scoring and serving repertoire that contributed 30 assists, three kills and a pair of service aces.
Humber rocked the Thunder with impeccable serving and offense to jump to an early 7-3 lead. But Algonquin did not let the Hawks walk all over them and tied the set 10-10 before the Hawks sided out for a 6-1 run to send the Thunder into a timeout. The Hawks took off with their 17-12 lead thanks to right side Devan O'Connor's four kills through Thunder blocks. The Blue and Gold coasted to a 25-14 first set win.
Vanderlaan got the squad rolling with three solid serves that kept the Thunder's goose egg stuck on the scoreboard. Once Algonquin woke up they raced to tie the set at four points apiece. That was as close as they could to Humber's lead because Hanniman laid into Algonquin with a pair of kills from the backcourt. Libero Deborah Mitchell kept up her consistent passing to give the Hawks the momentum to keep applying pressure. Middle Elizabeth Deakin-Poot provided another multi-point serving rally that provided the bulk of the scoring in Humber's 8-1 run. By the time Algonquin called another timeout the Hawks had a 12-5 lead. Hanniman and outside hitter Kelsey Kovar stole the show with four combined kills over 12 points. But what frustrated the Thunder most were the clever tips from Vanderlaan that she even followed up with a pair of service aces. The offense was firing on all cylinders on their way to a 25-15 win.
It was the same story for the final set, just with more emphasis on putting their opponent away early. Everyone on the floor contributed to a huge 18-8 lead, especially highlighted by back-to-back aces from Ashleigh Darrach off the bench. The rest was history and the Hawks nailed Algonquin's coffin shut with the 25-15 win.
When asked about the win, Vanderlaan said they couldn't have started the tournament any better. "We've set the tone for the tournament by executing our game plan exactly as discussed," the setter explained. "We will go into tomorrow keeping the energy high no matter who's on the other side of the net."
The Fanshawe Falcons will be on the other side waiting for the Hawks at 8 p.m. tomorrow night.
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