No. 4 Women's Volleyball sweeps Niagara in home opener
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Niagara | 18 | 13 | 22 | 0 |
|
Humber | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
By: Stefan Gerardi
Humber Athletics Communications
ETOBICOKE – The Humber Hawks women's volleyball team (1-0, 5th West) have defeated the Niagara Knights (0-1, 9th West) in straight sets (25-18, 25-13, 25-22). The defending OCAA champions put on a show in front of their home fans at the North Campus gym by dominating the Knights in their first regular season game of the 2022-23 campaign.
Match Recap
The first serve was greeted by loud cheers from Hawks' fans, excited to see their team play for the first time this season. The teams traded points and were involved in a back-and-forth tight battle as the set began. After Humber jumped ahead to a 10-8 lead, the squad was red-hot and went on an 11-4 run. Niagara managed to win some points back but could not outperform the Hawks' fiery offence, and Humber closed out the first set with relative ease.
The second set was all Humber as they controlled play and proved why they are defending provincial champions. After the Hawks hurdled ahead to lead 12-9, the floodgates opened, and Niagara could get nothing going against the explosive Humber Hawks. The Hawks closed the set on an impressive 13-4 run to take a 2-0 set lead against the Knights.
Niagara knew they needed to win three straight sets to avoid their first loss of the 2022-23 season and gave Humber a challenge in the match's third set. Niagara led for most of the third set and was a mere three points away from winning their first set of the game; however, the fierce Humber Hawks did not plan on losing in front of their home fans. With Niagara ahead 22-20, the Hawks scored five straight points to close out the match and secure their first victory of the season.
As a team, the Hawks finished the match with 32 kills, 28 assists, seven aces, and 12 blocks over the match's three sets. Uxbridge native Erika Dodd led the way for the Hawks offensively by posting ten kills and four aces, while veteran Stephanie Armstrong had 16 assists. On the defensive end, middle blocker Keyome Ellis led the team in blocks with five.
Humber Highlights
- The Hawks haven't lost a match on home court since Nov. 15, 2019, against Fanshawe.
- Head coach Chris Wilkins' all-time record stands at 389-56 over 21 seasons.
- The Hawks remain perfect in home openers dating back to 1988.
What's Next?
The Humber Hawks women's volleyball team will travel to Fanshawe College on Oct. 27 for a clash with the Falcons at 6 p.m. The Hawks will return to North Campus gym for a battle with Cambrian on Nov. 5 at 6 p.m. and will be streamed live on the Hawks Sports Network.