Men's Volleyball sweeps national quarter-final against Sainte-Anne

By: Stefan Gerardi
Humber Athletics Communications

ETOBICOKE – Humber men's volleyball team put on a dominating performance in its quarter-final matchup against Dragons de Sainte-Anne (RSEQ) at the 2023 CCAA National Championship. The Hawks showed superiority from the opening serve and never surrendered momentum, ultimately winning the match in straight sets, 3-0 (25-17, 25-15, 25-21). The victory came in front of their home fans, who were treated to Humber's first CCAA National Championship match at the North Campus Gym since 2008. 

Senior Jaydon Milne led the squad with 14 points, while Humber's twin towers, Maximum Crowder and Jaskarn Kalsi, added 11 points each. Two-time All-Canadian Jake Gomes finished with eight aces and 25 assists. 

Match Recap

Humber College has waited since August 2022 to be front and centre on the CCAA men's volleyball national stage. It has been 15 years since Humber has hosted men's volleyball nationals; however, this year is drawing much more excitement from North Campus. 

Humber men's volleyball is not only entering the tournament as the hosts but as the 2023 OCAA Champions. Although no one had their eyes on the Hawks at the beginning of the 2022-23 campaign, the team persevered and now has one goal in their minds – conquer their quarter-final opponent, the Dragons de Sainte-Anne, and move one win closer to a national title on home court. 

North Campus Gym was rocking as the Hawks were introduced on the biggest stage in Canadian collegiate volleyball. With the Hawks' Nest on their feet and the players set for first serve, the quarterfinal matchup was ready to get underway. Sainte-Anne claimed the first two points of the opening set, but it didn't take long for the Hawks to break their short-lived slump. Jake Gomes blasted four service aces past the Dragons as part of an 8-1 run to give Humber an early lead. Although Sainte-Anne began putting points on the board, Humber proved they were the better offensive team. Maximum Crowder led the team in kills in the opening set, and Humber cruised to a 25-17 set victory. 

Sainte-Anne once again jumped ahead to a very lead. The Hawks came back quickly, but the Dragons kept it close. The teams traded points until the Hawks hurdled ahead to a commanding lead after an 11-2 run. The run was cut short by uncharacteristic net violations from Humber. Although the Hawks encountered a mid-set slump due to in-game violations, Humber regained momentum and took a double-digit lead. The Hawks never looked back and put themselves one set win away from a CCAA quarterfinal victory. 

The 2023 OCAA champions got off to a hot start, as they could smell a trip to the CCAA semifinals. Humber hurdled ahead to an early lead after a 6-0 run saw Jake Gomes add three more aces to his stat line. Sainte-Anne could feel the pressure, but they weren't ready to let the deciding frame reflect the first two sets. The Dragons went on a 9-3 run that knotted the set at nine points. Sainte-Anne won the next point to take their first lead since the beginning of the second set. The fans at the Hawks' Nest got on their feet and cheered on their team as they knew that Humber needed an energy boost. The Hawks regained their winning tempo and claimed eight of the next ten rallies. The Dragons made a late push, but Humber sent Sainte-Anne back to Nova Scotia empty-handed with a 3-0 match victory. 

Jake Gomes was given player of the game honours as he posted a team-high eight aces and 25 assists. 

Humber Highlights

• Humber improves to 5-6 all-time in CCAA quarter-finals.
• Wednesday night's matchup against Sainte-Anne marked the first meeting in Humber men's volleyball program history.
• The Hawks are now 8-0 against ACAA opponents at the CCAA National Championships.
• Humber's record now stands at 2-2 when hosting nationals on home court.
• Jake Gomes' eight service aces match a career-high he set against Conestoga in 2020. 

What's Next?

Humber men's volleyball will head to the CCAA semifinals against the winner of the VIU Mariners/Volontaires de Sherbrooke quarter-final matchup. First serve for the Hawks' next game is slated for tomorrow at 8 p.m. and will be streamed live on the Hawks Sports Network.