Straight set sweep for Women's Volleyball to open national tournament

By: Fernando Bossoes
Humber Athletics Communications

OSHAWA, Ont. – No. 3 Humber women's volleyball kicked off their 2025 CCAA Women's Volleyball National Championship run with a dominant victory over the Augustana Vikings on Wednesday afternoon in Oshawa. The Hawks secured a three-set win (25-20, 25-18, 25-22) and now advance to the semifinal, where they will face the Pacific Western Athletic Association champions No. 2 VIU Mariners tomorrow, March 6.

Hannah Manners and Amy Connelly once again led the Hawks offensively, each scoring 10 kills, while Amanda Larsen was dominant at the net, recording an impressive match-high five blocks.

Match Recap

In Ontario, women's volleyball dominance runs through Humber—everyone knows it. Under head coach Chris Wilkins, the Hawks have more perfect seasons than ones with a single loss, 12-11. Yet, the Hawks still miss one hardware: the national gold medal. Now, at the 2025 CCAA Women's Volleyball National Championship, Humber had its 20th shot at glory.

Their opening challenge was the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC), the Augustana Vikings, silver medalists. Despite falling short in the ACAC finals, the Vikings still rode the momentum of postseason victories over No. 7 Briercrest Clippers and No. 15 King's Eagles. With Humber and Augustana meeting for the first time, the stakes could not be higher.

The Vikings made it clear to the Ontario crowd that they belonged on the big stage despite not holding a national ranking. In the first set, Augustana started strong with a 5-0 run fueled by Hadley Ziemmer's back-to-back aces. The Hawks stayed composed and battled back to level the score at 8-8, keeping the set contested. Late in the set, Humber found a good sequence, led by Amy Connelly, and surged ahead to secure a 25-20 win.

The Hawks understood the significance of winning the first set at nationals, knowing it could provide the confidence needed for a strong tournament run. But they were not happy with just one set. Coach Chris Wilkins' team came out firing in the second set, quickly jumping to an early 7-2 lead. CCAA Player of the Year Kennedy Williscroft threw fire from the end line, scoring an ace and forcing shaky receptions by the Vikings that set up Hannah Manners for two kills. The dominant start proved effective as the Hawks dictated the pace, closing it out 25-18.

In the third set, Amanda Larsen showed the country her dominance at the net with three crucial block points — two doubles and one solo. Her defensive performance kept the Hawks in control, forcing Augustana to call a timeout as Humber edged closer to victory with a 20-16 lead. The Vikings fought to close the gap, but their late push fell short, as Connelly sealed the deal with a 25-22 victory.

Kennedy Williscroft was named the Player of the Match, presented by 4imprint, recording five service aces, 25 assists, 11 digs and eight points.

Humber Highlights

• This was the first meeting between Humber and Augustana.
• The Hawks improve to 7-13 all-time in the CCAA quarter-final.
• Humber improves to 4-12 against the ACAC at nationals.
• The Hawks are one of just two undefeated teams in Canada, alongside the No. 1 Lakeland Rustlers.
• Head coach Chris Wilkins improves to 24-32 at the big dance.

What's next?

The Hawks will now play in the CCAA semifinals. Humber will face the Pacific Western Athletic Association champions No. 2 VIU Mariners tomorrow, March 6. The first set is scheduled for 6 p.m. EST and will be streamed live on CCAA Live.