No. 4 Women’s Volleyball sweeps season series over No. 11 St. Clair

By: Fernando Bossoes
Humber Athletics Communications

ETOBICOKE – New year, same outcome for No. 4 Humber women's volleyball (13-0, 1^st West) against the No. 11 St. Clair Saints (10-2, 2^nd West). The Hawks have swept the season series against the Saints with a four-set victory (19-25, 25-16, 30-28, 25-20) at the Hawks' Nest. Humber has won 37 of the last 39 meetings against St. Clair, dating back to 1996. Fourth-year player Hannah Manners continues to be a game-changer for the Hawks, recording new career highs with 19 kills and 21 points. Middle blocker Rachael O'Dell posted a season-high with three block solos.

Match Recap

After 41 days away from their home crowd, Humber women's volleyball returned to the Hawks' Nest for their first home game of 2025. Besides hot chocolates and gingerbread houses, the Hawks had a packed schedule over the holidays, ringing in the new year in Florida. There, they claimed victory at the Speedo Cup, defeating the No. 2 VIU Mariners in the semifinals and the No. 7 Édouard-Montpetit in the championship match. Back in Canada, the Hawks kicked off the second half of the season with a win over the Redeemer Royals and were now set to face their first home opponent of the year, the No. 11 St. Clair Saints.

The Hawks tried to set the tone early in the match, scoring the first three points, with fourth-year player Hannah Manners contributing two of them. The Saints, however, remained unfazed, quickly regrouping on the floor and keeping a contested game. They eventually managed to edge ahead at 15-14 and continued to extend their lead. With a solid defensive performance at the net, complemented by a great mix of plays on the middle and left sides, St. Clair captured the first set 25-19.

In the second set, the Saints kept the intensity high at the Nest as both teams traded points in the early stages. The Hawks found their rhythm midway through, building a four-point lead at 15-11. A block by middle blocker Amanda Larsen prompted St. Clair to call a timeout. After the break, Humber entertained the fans in the crowd, closing out the set with a dominant 25-16 win.

Following the second set, the fans at the Nest were on the edge of their seats, witnessing one of the most intense sets of the season. With the Saints pulling ahead to a 21-16 lead, it looked like the set was slipping through Humber's fingers. But, Manners delivered a clutch late-game performance that helped the Hawks rally back into contention. The tiebreaker was a nerves-on-edge showdown. 25-25, 26-26, 27-27, 28-28—neither team would give up. Two costly errors by the Saints handed Humber the set, 30-28, and a crucial 2-1 lead.

After a back-and-forth, disputed third set, Humber returned to the court controlling much of the fourth. The Saints attempted a comeback, trimming the gap down to just three points at 23-20. However, their hopes fell short as Caitlyn Labelle powered through a double block to seal the match with a 25-20 victory.

Fourth-year player Hannah Manners was named the Player of the Game, recording a career-high 18 kills, a career-high 21 points and two service aces.

Humber Highlights

• Humber improves to 41-11 all-time against St. Clair.
• The Hawks hold a ten-win streak against the Saints, dating back to Nov. 30, 2019.
• Humber has won 37 of the last 39 meetings against St. Clair, dating back to 1996.
• Humber remains undefeated against the OCAA since Feb. 11, 2023, with 40 consecutive wins.
• Chris Wilkins has a 447-62 all-time record as Humber's head coach.
• The Hawks lead the OCAA with a .287 hitting percentage.
• Humber sits second in the province with 107 blocks.
• Amanda Larsen leads the league with an average of 1.06 blocks per set.

What's next?

No. 4 Humber will stay in Etobicoke for the next few days as they take on the Niagara Knights (8-4, 4^th West) on Wednesday, Jan. 15. The first set is slated for 6 p.m. and will be streamed live on the Hawks Sports Network.