Men's Volleyball falls to Niagara in home opener
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Niagara | 25 | 25 | 22 | 25 | 3 |
|
Humber | 23 | 23 | 25 | 23 | 1 |
By: Stefan Gerardi
Humber Athletics Communications
ETOBICOKE – The No. 1 Humber Hawks men's volleyball team (0-1, 9th West) has been defeated by the Niagara Knights in four sets 3-1 (23-25, 23-25, 25-22, 23-25). After Niagara jumped ahead by two sets to put the Hawks on their heels, Humber could win a set but could not oust a strong performance from Niagara.
Match Recap
Humber North Campus' gym was rocking as men's volleyball were ready to begin their 2022-23 season in front of an excited home crowd. The defending OCAA champions were pumped up for a battle against the Niagara Knights.
The first set was a back-and-forth clash between both sides, as neither team could seem to get ahead by more than three points. With each team looking to gain momentum, it was Niagara who came from behind while Humber was on the verge of winning the first set. The score read 23-22 for Humber, and the Hawks had service. Niagara tied the game on a deceitful spike and scored the following two points to go up by one set.
The second set was all Niagara as they jumped out to a commanding 16-10 lead over the Hawks. But the Hawks didn't give up and came storming back with a 12-4 run to take a 22-20 lead; however, the Hawks could not close out the set and lost by a score of 25-23.
The Hawks knew they needed to win three straight sets to stay alive and win the match, and they did not disappoint the Humber faithful in the evening's third set. Niagara led for most of the set but could not control the game and only jumped ahead by two points for their largest lead. Humber knotted up the set at 18 and didn't look back as they won by a score of 25-22.
With a ton of energy radiating from the Hawks after a huge set win, Humber was ready to get back at it and embrace a possible comeback against Niagara. The Hawks took a commanding 21-16 lead, and the home fans were roaring; however, Niagara took advantage of a sluggish Hawks defence to tie the game at 23. With the Hawks losing momentum, the Knights closed out the set by winning the final two points and securing their first victory of the season.
As a squad, the Hawks had 47 kills, 39 assists, nine aces and ten blocks over the match's four sets. The team made seven attacking errors and 15 service errors. Brazilian outside hitter, Gabriel Mendes, led the way for the Hawks offensively as he posted a team-high 16 kills. Humber's service man, Jake Gomes, had four aces and 35 assists while leading the team in blocks with three.
Humber Highlights
- In his 27th season as Humber's head coach, Wayne Wilkins all-time record is 389-126
- This was Humber's first loss at home since Nov. 24, 2018.
- The Hawks' all-time record against Niagara stands at 31-15.
- Humber lost its first home opener since the 2006-07 season.
What's Next?
Humber team will be on the road to take on the Fanshawe Falcons on Oct. 27 at 8 p.m. They will return home on Nov. 5 for a matchup with Cambrian. First serve is slated for 8 p.m. and will be streamed live on the Hawks Sports Network.
