No. 4 Women's Volleyball rolls Niagara

By: Fernando Bossoes
Humber Athletics Communications

ETOBICOKE – Perfection. This is the only way to describe Humber's record against Niagara in women's volleyball. The four-ranked team in the country, Humber Hawks (14-0, 1^st West), secured their 42^nd victory over the Niagara Knights (8-5, 3^rd West) in three sets (25-14, 25-20, 25-23) on Wednesday evening at the Hawks' Nest—a streak dating back to their first matchup in 1988. The Hawks are now headed to a three-game road stretch before returning to the Nest on Jan. 30. Second-year setter Kennedy Williscroft was all over the court, securing game-highs with 25 assists and nine digs. Etobicoke-native Hannah Manners added her ninth double-digit scoring of the season with a game-high 13 points.

Match recap

It was a typical cold January evening in Etobicoke as the Humber women's volleyball team welcomed the Niagara Knights to the Hawks' Nest. Like the typical weather, the Hawks aimed for another routine victory over the Knights. Humber had never lost to Niagara, holding a commanding streak of 41 consecutive wins.

The fans in the crowd saw complete dominance in the first set. The Knights seemed overwhelmed as Humber attacked from all angles, spreading the offence across the scoresheet. Fourth-year players Hannah Manners and Lexie Zicari were unstoppable, scoring points easily, while Amy Connelly threw fire from the service line with back-to-back aces midway through the set. Humber cruised to a 25-14 set victory, handing Niagara their worst set performance of the season.

Back on the court for the second set, the Knights found their rhythm early, keeping a neck-to-neck start that saw the score tied at 8-8. Humber then capitalized a strong sequence, and two consecutive aces by middle blocker Rachael O'Dell prompted Niagara to call a timeout at 12-8. Despite the Knights narrowing the gap to just three points at 20-17, the Hawks maintained composure, and five-foot-eight setter Alix Schewaga sealed the deal with a massive block to secure Humber's 25-20 win.

Humber dominated much of the third set, but things got tense when Niagara rallied with a four-point streak to narrow the gap to 21-19. The Hawks' lead dropped to just one point at 24-23, forcing coach Chris Wilkins to call a timeout to refocus his squad. The brief pause broke Niagara's momentum, whether by intention or coincidence, and a service error gave Humber the victory.

Outside hitter Averi Bodnar was named Player of the Game, recording six kills and four digs.

Humber Highlights

• The Hawks have never lost to the Knights, 42-0 all time, dating back to their first meeting in 1988.
• Humber has not lost against an OCAA team since Feb. 9, 2023, with 41 consecutive wins.
• Head coach Chris Wilkins holds a 448-62 record as the Hawks' boss.
• Scoring only 12 points in the first set, Humber handed Niagara its worst set performance of the season.
• Hannah Manners has recorded double-digit scoring in nine matches this season.
• Amanda Larsen leads the OCAA with a .402 swing percentage and an average of one block per set.
• Kennedy Williscroft sits first in the province, averaging 8.45 assists per set.
• Humber has the best hitting percentage in the league, an average of .291.

What's next?

The Hawks now have a three-game road stretch before returning to the Nest on Jan. 30. The Conestoga Condors (5-9, 8^th West) will welcome Humber at the Conestoga Student Recreation Centre in Kitchener on Saturday, Jan. 18. The first serve is scheduled for 1 p.m.