Three-peat for No. 14 Men's Volleyball

By: Stefan Gerardi
Humber Athletics Communications

LONDON – In front of a packed house at Fanshawe College, against the No. 2 Falcons, the No. 14 Humber men's volleyball grinded to a tough four-set victory over the home team to capture its third straight OCAA title Saturday evening.

Entering the match as an underdog despite being the two-time defending champions and defeating the Falcons at home just over a month ago didn't stop Humber from putting together one of its best matches of the season. After dropping their first two matches of the season and hovering around .500 for much of the first half, teams across the OCAA didn't take them as seriously as top-ranked squads such as Fanshawe, who seemed unstoppable throughout the regular season. As soon as the calendar flipped to 2023, the Hawks got red-hot and fast-forward two months, now all the Hawks can see is gold. 

Humber was crowned provincial champions, defeating the Falcons in their gym, 3-1, with set scores of 25-21, 23-25, 25-22, and 25-23. The Hawks made two comebacks to secure the gold medal and can now look ahead to nationals on home court with visions of lifting a CCAA title over their heads. Jaskarn Kalsi and Jaydon Milne finished with a team-high 15 points each, while Maximum Crowder finished with 11 points of his own. Teyven Blackmore and OCAA all-rookie Michael McAlpine contributed with ten points each, as well. Senior Jake Gomes finished with another double-double, recording 44 assists and 11 digs while adding another four aces.

Match Recap

Humber and Fanshawe split the season series, with both home sides coming out on top. The Falcons were ranked as a top team throughout the regular season, whereas the Hawks had a shaky start but finished the season on a red-hot win streak. Humber knew it could beat  Fanshawe but would need to put its best foot forward as the gold medal match was on their opponent's home court. 

With the home fans on their feet, Fanshawe's starting lineup was electric and went on a 4-1 run to start the first set. Humber settled into their game and inched back to within two points of tying the game. The Hawks were tenacious but couldn't seem to find a way to close the gap until late in the set. The determined Humber squad knotted up the game at 15 points and silenced the crowd as they took a commanding lead after a 6-2 run. The Hawks would complete the comeback and win the set. 

Fanshawe had yet another strong start in the second set. Humber kept it close, but the home side went on a 5-1 run that put them ahead by five. The Hawks were faced with another uphill battle for the second straight set. After a timeout called by 27-year veteran head coach Wayne Wilkins, Humber clawed back to two points of knotting the set on multiple occasions. They finally knotted the game at 22 points, but the Falcons had just enough in the tank to outpower the Hawks. Fanshawe claimed the second set and forced at least two more sets to decide the winner of the gold. 

Humber was frustrated that they couldn't complete another comeback in the second frame; however, they knew that they couldn't keep playing from behind if they wanted to win the gold medal. The Hawks hurdled ahead to a monstrous lead after an 8-2 run. Fanshawe closed the gap but failed to keep any real pressure on Humber. The home crowd brought energy to the Falcons, and they made a strong push while the Hawks were on match point. An explosive kill from Maximum Crowder eluded Fanshawe's defence, and Humber snuck away with a slim victory in the third frame to take a 2-1 set lead. 

As the fourth set got underway, the Hawks could smell the provincial championship in their midst. The teams traded points as neither side could gain momentum and sit on a comfortable lead. After Fanshawe gained their first lead of the set 21 rallies in, the court tilted in their favour. Humber found themselves down, but they proved earlier in the match that they could come back and win. The Hawks tied the game at 15 and again at 19. The resilient Humber squad wouldn't go away, and they finally took the lead 21-20. 

With the odds stacked against them, the Humber Hawks claimed their third-straight OCAA Championship after a huge Jaydon Milne block landed on the opposition's side of the court. The Hawks' bench stormed the court to celebrate their gold medal. It took three seasons, but the Hawks finally got their redemption, defeating the Falcons on their court. Jaskarn Kalsi co-led Humber in kills with ten and was named player of the match, while Teyven Blackmore and Maximum Crowder were named to the all-tournament team. Two-time All-Canadian Jake Gomes capped off his legendary OCAA career by earning championship MVP honours. 

Humber Highlights

• The Hawks three-peated for the second time in program history, winning its ninth title overall.
• Head coach Wayne Wilkins has won his seventh provincial championship with the Humber Hawks.
• The Hawks have extended their OCAA postseason winning streak to 12 straight matches, and they now hold an all-time playoff record of 65-45.
• Teyven Blackmore led the Hawks in scoring during the postseason, recording 55 points in 13 sets.
• This was the first time in program history that men's volleyball has beat Fanshawe in the gold medal match.
• Jake Gomes averaged 10.21 assists-per-set and 1.00 ace-per-set during Humber's four postseason victories.

What's Next?

North Campus will be host to the CCAA Men's Volleyball Championship, where the top teams in collegiate volleyball will be on display. The Hawks will have the chance to capture their second CCAA Championship in program history, this time on home court. The four-day tournament is set to get underway on March 8, when quarter-final matchups will be played.