Five-peat for No. 3 Men's Volleyball

By: Fernando Bossoes
Humber Athletics Communications

SUDBURY, Ont. – Witnessing the rise of a dynasty is a rare privilege—one that not every generation gets to experience. But for Humber men's volleyball, history is unfolding before our eyes. Five consecutive OCAA gold medals, an achievement never seen before in the program's history. 

At the heart of it all stands head coach Wayne Wilkins, a man who has dedicated over 30 years to the Humber program as a player, assistant coach and now, a legendary leader. His success goes back to his early years at the helm, but now, Wilkins seems to have unlocked the blueprint for dominance. 

From the first serve of the season, the Hawks left no doubt. Humber ran through the competition, and their excellence was rewarded. Cold-blooded Teyven Blackmore was named OCAA Player of the Year, offence architect Josh Nicholson claimed OCAA West Player of the Year and unstoppable Nazyr Francis joined them as a first-team all-star. The program's first five-peat was inevitable. 

And on Sunday afternoon in Sudbury, the moment arrived. No. 3 Humber men's volleyball (22-0) defeated the No. 15 Cambrian Golden Shield (18-4) in four sets (31-29, 20-25, 25-18, 25-13) to claim the gold medal. 

With his ninth OCAA championship, Coach Wilkins has more provincial titles than all but one OCAA institution. In his 29th year at the helm, the longest-tenured coach in Humber's history is not getting closer to retirement, but carving out his place among the legends of the game. 

Match Recap 

The stage was set for the 2025 OCAA Men's Volleyball Championship. In Sudbury, the No. 3 Humber Hawks and the No. 15 Cambrian Golden Shield prepared to battle for Ontario supremacy. For Cambrian, this was their chance to rewrite history. After back-to-back bronze medals, the Golden Shield had finally returned to the finals for the first time since 1995. Four times before, they had stood on the doorstep of glory. For times, they had fallen short. But now, in front of their home crowd, the stars seemed to align for a coronation. 

Humber was chasing a different kind of immortality on the other side of the net. The four-time reigning champions, a dynasty in their own right, were in pursuit of their first-ever five-peat. Their dominance was undeniable, and that only increased after they swept their rivals, No. 10 Fanshawe Falcons, in the semifinals. Playing away from their home crowd was not a problem either. This marked Humber's fifth straight gold medal match away from home. Once again, the Hawks would have to silence a hostile crowd to prove that their dynasty knew no boundaries. 

In the opening set, Humber came out swinging in front of Cambrian's crowd, with Teyven Blackmore and Michael McAlpine pressuring from both sides and combining for six kills collectively to give Humber a 10-8 edge. Despite the great start, service errors plagued the Hawks' game and kept Cambrian close. After going on a 7-4 run to increase their lead, Humber saw Cambrian gain momentum and force the set into a deuce. The intense back-and-forth battle saw neither team able to close it out, until two critical Cambrian errors handed Humber the set, 31-29. 

In the second set, the Hawks once again struggled with many mistakes from the service line, giving Cambrian an early lead. The Golden Shield found a good rhythm midway through the set and maintained control, levelling the match with a 25-20 set win. 

The Hawks were aware their mistakes at the service line could cost them another set, so they made crucial adjustments in the third. Kyle Gray-Phillips and Josh Nicholson each scored two aces, helping Humber jump ahead by six points at 16-10. The Hawks managed their lead and, in the late stages, serving specialist Paul Manna came through in the clutch, firing an ace that shook the Cambrian's defence. Humber closed out the set with a 25-18 win. 

In the fourth set, everything clicked for the Hawks. Blackmore and McAlpine were unstoppable, while Francis delivered two aces during a red-hot stretch of seven consecutive serves, fueling a dominant 6-0 run that extended Humber's lead to 20-7. The Golden Shield had no answer, and Humber surged to the match point at 24-13. With the finish line in sight, Gray-Phillips jumped for a spike, slamming the ball to the floor to seal the victory. 

The Hawks celebrated, but the highlight was the quiet confidence of a team that knew this was where they belonged. The road to their second national glory has begun once again. 

Player of the Match 

• Alec Loney 

Tournament All-Stars 

• Michael McAlpine
• Josh Nicholson 

Tournament MVP 

• Teyven Blackmore 

Humber Highlights

• The Hawks are now tied with the Sheridan Bruins with 11 provincial titles - the most in the province.
• This is Humber's first five-peat in the program's history.
• The Hawks are the first OCAA program to five-peat since the Sheridan Bruins won six straight from 1989-94.
• Humber improves to 42-7 all-time against Cambrian.
• The Hawks boast a 73-25 all-time playoff record.
• Humber has won 20 consecutive matches in the OCAA playoffs.
• This was Humber's seventh consecutive appearance in the OCAA gold medal match.
• Coach Wayne Wilkins holds a 67-32 all-time OCAA playoff record and a 446-141 all-time overall record. 

What's Next?

The Hawks will now pack their bags for their next challenge as they head to Niverville, Manitoba for the 2025 CCAA Men's Volleyball National Championship. The tournament, hosted by the three-time reigning Manitoba Collegiates Athletic Conference champions No. 8 Providence Pilots, will take place from March 5 to March 8 at the newly built Niverville Community Resource and Recreation Centre.