No. 3 Men's Volleyball rolls Seneca to open the postseason
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Seneca (6-13, 6-12) | 7 | 19 | 10 | 0 |
|
Humber (17-2, 16-2) | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
By: Fernando Bossoes
Humber Athletics Communications
ETOBICOKE – No. 3 Humber men's volleyball (17-2, 1st West) kicked off their postseason run with a dominant performance, sweeping the Seneca Sting (6-13, 8th East) in straight sets (25-7, 25-19, 25-10) on Saturday afternoon at the Hawks' Nest. Humber's service staff was the highlight of the match, recording 15 service aces, their highest number in a match this season.
Match Recap
After months of back-and-forth sets, the OCAA postseason had finally arrived. For the Humber Hawks, the journey to the playoffs was marked by a 16-2 record, the second-best in the province. Coach Wayne Wilkins' squad only dropped 12 sets all season—the fewest in the entire league. Standing in their way was the Seneca Sting. Travelling across town for the matchup, Seneca qualified with the fewest sets won (24) among all postseason teams. History was also on Humber's side, with a commanding 10-2 all-time record against the Sting in the postseason. The Hawks were clear favourites to advance, but in the postseason, nothing is guaranteed.
In the opening set, the province's second-best team in swing percentage proved its dominance extends beyond offence. Mississauga's own Alec Loney made his presence felt early, teaming up with Michael McAlpine and Teyven Blackmore for double blocks before delivering a solo block that put the Hawks ahead 5-1. Humber's service staff was a difference-maker, with Loney, Nazyr Francis and Kyle Gray-Phillips combining for eight aces throughout the set—Gray-Phillips scoring four of them. The Hawks racked up points from aces and consistently regained possession through them. To no one's surprise, it was an ace that sealed the set, as Francis delivered the final blow in a commanding 25-7 win—Seneca's worst set performance of the season.
The Sting entered the second set more organized, keeping pace with Humber in the early stages. Coach Wilkins' team stayed composed with the score tied at 9-9 and the tensions running high. A dominant 7-2 run forced Seneca to burn two timeouts in an attempt to regain control, but Humber's momentum was unstoppable. Dictating the set's tempo and maintaining their edge, the Hawks closed out the set 25-19.
In the third set, Humber brought the same intensity from the first, leaving Seneca with no chance of mounting a comeback. It was a complete blowout. Blackmore and McAlpine led the charge with five points each, while left-side player Paul Manna sealed the match with a kill, securing a dominant 25-10 set win.
Third-year standout Michael McAlpine was named the Player of the Game, scoring 11 points, which included nine kills.
Humber Highlights
- The Hawks improve to 28-7 all-time against the Sting and 11-2 all-time in the postseason.
- Humber has won 17 straight OCAA playoff matches.
- Head coach Wayne Wilkins holds a 64-32 all-time OCAA playoff record and a 443-141 all-time overall record.
- With a 25-7 first-set win, the Hawks handed the Sting their worst set performance of the season.
- Teyven Blackmore has recorded double-digit scoring in 15 matches this season.
- Alec Loney has recorded double-digit scoring in five matches this season.
What's Next?
Humber has now advanced to the quarter-final round, continuing its #DriveForFive. The Hawks will welcome the Niagara Knights (10-9, 5th West) for a quarter-final showdown on Saturday, Feb. 15. The first serve is slated for 3 p.m. and will be streamed live on the Hawks Sports Network. Come to the Nest and support Humber's goal of capturing the first-ever five-peat in the program's history.
