No. 14 Men's Volleyball heading to fifth consecutive OCAA gold medal match
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Mohawk (2-1, 2-1) | 15 | 23 | 25 | 16 | 1 |
|
Humber (3-0, 3-0) | 25 | 25 | 23 | 25 | 3 |
Files from Fanshawe Communications
LONDON, Ont. - On the second day of the 2022-23 OCAA Men's Volleyball Championship hosted by Fanshawe College, the final four teams battled in semi-final matches for a place in the final.
In the first semi-final game of the evening, the No. 14 nationally-ranked Humber Hawks (16-5, 2nd West) were victorious over the Mohawk Mountaineers (12-9, 4th West) three sets to one. Humber started the match off strong and separated themselves early from the Mountaineers with service aces from OCAA West Division Second Team All-Stars Jaydon Milne and Jake Gomes. The West Division's top hitter Anthony Beijes had some solid kills for the Mountaineers, but the Hawks maintained their lead and won the first set 25-15. The Mountaineers brought the energy in the second frame with great defence from OCAA West Division First Team All-Star Turner Neame and consecutive hits from Beijes. Midway through the set, Humber began to chip away and gained a slim advantage with a kill from OCAA West Division All-Rookie Michael McAlpine. The teams exchanged points until late in the set, when a big block from the Hawks put them ahead and they would win set two by a score of 25-23.
In an exciting third set, both teams had strong attacks from their key performers. A huge kill from Humber's Maximum Crowder gave the Hawks a burst of energy, but the Mountaineers would not let up. A massive block from Beijes got Mohawk back in it, and the Mountaineers would take the third set 25-23. Humber started to show their dominance in the fourth frame and began to wear down Mohawk. The Hawks had back-to-back hits from Teyven Blackmore and Jaskarn Kalsi to secure their lead. Humber would go on to win set four 25-16 and the match 3-1 to advance to Saturday's gold medal match. Beijes was a well-deserved Player of the Match for Mohawk, with an incredible 27 points. Gomes was named the Player of the Match for Humber, notching 11 points, 31 assists and 12 digs.
Humber Highlights
- The Hawks improve to 13-9 in the OCAA semifinal round.
- Coach Wilkins picked up his 58th OCAA postseason victory.
- Humber improves to 3-2 all-time against Mohawk in the postseason.
- Setter Jake Gomes recorded his fifth career double-double, finishing with 31 assists and 12 digs.
What's Next?
No. 14 Humber will now look to capture its third straight OCAA title Saturday, taking on No. 2 Fanshawe in the gold medal match. First serve is set for 7:30 p.m.
