No. 3 Women's Volleyball rolls George Brown to begin postseason
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
George Brown (0-1, 0-1) | 7 | 17 | 14 | 0 |
|
Humber (1-0, 1-0) | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
By: Fernando Bossoes
Humber Athletics Communications
ETOBICOKE – In its first game of the OCAA postseason, No. 3 Humber women's volleyball (19-0, 1st West) rolled past the George Brown Huskies (5-14, 8th East) in three sets (25-7, 25-17, 25-14) at the Hawks' Nest, securing a spot in the quarter-final round. Third-year player Erika Dodd stole the spotlight at the Hawks' Nest, capturing a game-high 14 points, while Tia Perkins was locked in defensively, grabbing a season-high 14 digs.
Match Recap
After sweeping the Mohawk Mountaineers in their home court last weekend, the Hawks were back at the Nest for the first postseason game of the provincial championship, a crossover match against the George Brown Huskies. Humber entered the court looking to keep the great momentum from the regular season, as the Hawks finished as the only undefeated team in the conference – legendary coach Chris Wilkins now has 11 perfect seasons at the helm of Humber Hawks women's volleyball team.
Across the net, the Huskies arrived in Etobicoke aiming to get their first win after losing their three previous games. George Brown was howling for a fight, but the Hawks had plans to fly the Huskies home with their tails between their legs. Leading Humber in kills for the third consecutive year, left-side player Erika Dodd was ready to put on a show in the first post-season game, grabbing three kills and an ace to set Humber up 12-4, forcing George Brown to call a timeout. The Huskies returned to the court ready to bark, but the Hawks had the final say with a sky-high performance – Karolina Urbanovich would swoop in to secure Humber a 25-7 set win.
As both teams returned to the court, George Brown knew the importance of winning the second set if they dreamed of clinching a spot in the quarter-final round. The Huskies were keeping a neck-to-neck game early in the set, as the score read Humber up by a mere one-point lead, 7-6. The Huskies were on the prowl, but the Hawks would find their game and flap their wings faster, leaving George Brown digging for answers. Keyome Ellis would sit in the driver's seat next to her supporting passenger Caitlyn Labelle, clutching five kills together to capture the set 25-17.
The Humber fans at the Nest would see intense back-and-forth rallies in the third set. The Hawks were pushing strong from the middle, but the Huskies were solid defensively while their spikes were driven down – George Brown led early in the third 11-7, forcing coach Wilkins to call a timeout to bring his team together. Wilkins never disappoints, sending Humber back to the court more consistently and ready to take off after the evening match-up 12-12. The Hawks would not look back, as rookie Caitlyn Labelle was firing storms, leaving the Huskies chasing their tails with a dominant 25-14 set win.
Left-side player Caitlyn Labelle was named the Hawks Player of the Game, grabbing nine points, two digs and two block solos.
Humber Highlights
- The Hawks improve to 2-0 all-time against George Brown.
- Humber extends its win streak to 24 consecutive matches against OCAA opponents.
- The Hawks extend their streak to nine consecutive OCAA postseason victories without dropping a set.
- Coach Wilkins improves to 64-8 all-time in the OCAA playoffs.
What's Next?
The Hawks have clinched a spot in the quarterfinals against the Conestoga Condors (10-9, 5th West). Humber will host the Condors on Saturday, Feb. 17. The first serve is set to 6 p.m. and will be streamed live on the Hawks Sports Network. Come to the Nest to support the Hawks as they continue their journey for a third-straight provincial title.
