No. 3 Men's Volleyball heading to seventh consecutive final four

By: Fernando Bossoes
Humber Athletics Communications

ETOBICOKE – No. 3 Humber men's volleyball are heading back to the OCAA final four once again. Head coach Wayne Wilkins' squad (18-2) secured its seventh straight semifinal appearance with a sweep (25-18, 25-13, 26-24) over the Niagara Knights (11-9, 5^th West) on Saturday afternoon at the Hawks' Nest. Fourth-year Teyven Blackmore recorded a commanding game-high 19 points, which included 18 kills, while Josh Nicholson recorded a double-double with 30 assists and 15 digs.

Match Recap

The Humber Hawks and the Niagara Knights were gearing up for their third matchup of the season, but this time, on the grand stage of the OCAA playoffs. The Knights entered the quarterfinals as underdogs, yet confident after a road sweep against the Durham Lords in the qualifying round.

The Hawks, on the other hand, were in peak form. Their dominant performance against the Seneca Sting in the qualifying round reinforced their status as the team to beat, and their roster boasted some of the league's top talent. Teyven Blackmore led the charge, earning OCAA Player of the Year award, while Nazyr Francis and Josh Nicholson secured first-team all-star selections—Nicholson being named OCAA West Division Player of the Year.

The opening set delivered everything fans expect from an OCAA quarter-final match. Both teams came out swinging, locked in a tight battle at 9-9. It was third-year player Michael McAlpine who ignited the Hawks' momentum with a decisive kill. From there, Wayne Wilkins' team found a good sequence—and when they are in sync, they are unstoppable. Josh Nicholson dictated the offence masterfully, piling up assists that fueled a relentless Humber attack. The Knights tried to respond, but a dominant double block by Kyle Gray-Phillips and Nazyr Francis put an end to the set at 25-18.

In the second set, OCAA Player of the Year showed exactly why he is the most feared player in the league. Time and again, Blackmore was set up to launch powerful attacks from the back zone, leaving Niagara's defence looking for answers. Humber cruised to a commanding 25-13 win, putting themselves just one set away from a spot in the OCAA final four.

The Knights, knowing they could not afford to let Humber run away with the third set, fought hard to keep the match close. But the Hawks' offence continued to fly high, with Blackmore and Francis combining for nine kills as Humber edged ahead 16-13. Gray-Phillips stepped to the service line and delivered an unstoppable serve that forced a wayward pass from Niagara. The ball soared high in the gym, even touching the 2002-2003 Humber men's golf national champions banner in the rafters before dropping for a Humber point, forcing Niagara to call a timeout.

Refusing to go down, the Knights pushed the set to a deuce. But in moments like these, big-time players step up—and no one was more clutch and cold-blooded than Blackmore. The Beechville-born player scored back-to-back points to close out the set 26-24, securing Humber's spot in the OCAA final four.

Senior setter Josh Nicholson was named the Player of the Game, recording 15 digs and 30 assists.

Humber Highlights

• Humber improves to 37-16 all-time against Niagara; 22-5 all-time at the Hawks' Nest.
• The Hawks boast an 18-win streak in the OCAA playoffs.
• In 28 seasons at the helm, coach Wayne Wilkins holds a 65-32 all-time OCAA playoff record and a 444-141 all-time overall record.
• Teyven Blackmore is just the fourth player in the program history to be named OCAA Player of the Year.
• This is the second time in history that Humber has two players named CCAA all-Canadians in the same season—Josh Nicholson and Teyven Blackmore.
• Teyven Blackmore has recorded double-digit kills in 15 matches this season and fewer than 10 in just two matches. 

What's Next?

The 2025 OCAA Men's Volleyball Championship will be hosted at the Cambrian Golden Shield gymnasium in Sudbury, Ont, from Feb. 22 to Feb. 23. The Hawks will open their championship run on Saturday, Feb. 22, against the Fanshawe Falcons (16-4, 3^rd West).

The match time is yet to be confirmed. Fans can stream the games live on OCAA Live. For updates, visit humberhawks.ca.