HAWKS PUNCH TICKET TO OCAA GOLD MEDAL GAME
ANCASTER: The Humber Hawks women's volleyball team will return to the OCAA Championship game on Saturday afternoon at Redeemer University, by way of a 3-1 semi-final win over the pesky Redeemer Royals.
With the win, the Hawks will play the Durham Lords for OCAA Gold and a trip to the CCAA Nationals at 5:00 pm on Saturday. Durham advanced by way of a3-0 win over Sudbury's Cambrian Golden Shield.
The game was played in front of yet another packed house at the Redeemer Athletic Centre, and although red was the prevailing colour in the bleachers there was a nice group of enthusiastic Hawk fans that cheered on the blue and gold.
It was the kind of game that players love to play in, but visiting coaches would like to shy away from. A big home crowd can have an influence on the games, but give full kudo's to the Humber coaching staff as they weathered the storm early and then directed their team to a solid win. Head Coach Chris Wilkins has been in big games throughout his entire career, and his ability to keep his team focused was a key on Friday night.
Humber won the first set but were pressed as the final score was pushed to extra points, ending at 26-24. The game ping-ponged in the 20's and Redeemer actually held a 24-23 lead. Humber tied it at 24, then took the next 2 points for the win. Player of the Year Thalia Hanniman made an impact in the first set, and then carried out her fine play the rest of the way.
The second set was a myriad of mistakes for the Hawks. They made 7 service errors, including a stretch where every player on the court in succession served out of play. They were still in the game when the game hit the 20 point mark, but some fine play by the home team made the difference. The Royals closed it out at 25-23.
A short rest between the second and third set and some encouraging words from Coach Wilkins made a world of difference. Humber, led by the fine serving of All-Star Kelsey Kovar and her long run of points, pushed Humber out to a big lead and they cruised the rest of the way. The final score was a dominating 25-11 win for Humber, and gave them a 2-1 lead in the match.
The fourth and final set was much of the same, as the Hawks continued on the torrid pace they set in the third and rolled to a 25-14 win. Tough serving and solid passing led the way in this set victory.
OCAA Player of the Year, Thalia Hanniman led the Hawks in scoring with an impressive 17 kills, 1 ace, and 3 blocks. 1st Team All-Star, Charlene De Vries led the Royals in the loss with 11 kills, 2 aces and 9 blocks.
Thalia Hanniman was recognized for her outstanding play as she was selected as the Humber Player of the Game.
For scores, please visit:
Official Tournament Website:
http://www.redeemerroyals.ca/sports/2015/1/7/GEN_0107154404.aspx?id=64
