Three straight wins for Men's Volleyball

By: Stefan Gerardi
Humber Athletics Communications

ETOBICOKE – Humber men's volleyball (3-2, 4th West) downed the Conestoga Condors (0-5, 10th West) 3-1, (25-11, 25-14, 23-25,25-19) in front of a jam-packed North Campus Gym. The Hawks' winning efforts included 39 kills, 31 assists, 11 aces and 34 digs over a thrilling four sets of action to earn them their third victory in a row. 

Match Recap

Hawks coming off first two wins After a sluggish start to the season, the Hawks got into the win column against Cambrian and Boreal in their last two appearances. On the contrary, the struggling Conestoga Condors have yet to record a win and sit last in the OCAA western conference. 

The first set saw Humber get out to a quick lead backed by the cheers of their home fans who had just witnessed the women's team continue their perfect season. After the Hawks jumped ahead to a 6-4 lead, they took control and went on a 12-2 run, giving them a commanding double-digit advantage. Humber continued their offensive pressure and defended tenaciously as they closed out strong and took a 1-0 set lead. 

The Hawks continued where they left off and hurdled ahead to an early second-set lead. Humber's red-hot squad put on an offensive clinic as they secured 13 points in the first 17 rallies of the set. The remainder of the set saw the teams trade points; however, the explosive Hawks were too much for the Condors to handle, and Humber put themselves one set away from improving their record to above .500 for the first time this season. 

With Conestoga on the verge of a loss, the Condors put their best foot forward in the third set. The squads traded points, but Humber maintained a narrow two-point lead late in the set, threatening Conestoga with their fifth loss in a row. The Condors found a boost of energy that leaped them ahead of the Hawks 23-22. Conestoga found their focus through the roars of Humber fans and won the set to put them back in the game. 

The fourth set saw both teams struggling to get ahead and gain momentum. The set was knotted at 16 points a side through 32 rallies, and it was at this crucial point in the match that the Hawks took over and Conestoga crumbled. Humber went on a 9-3 run to close out the hard-fought matchup, and they were awarded their third victory of the 2022-23 campaign. 

Fifth-year veteran Jaydon Milne had a showstopping performance for Humber as he led the team with three aces, eight kills, and seven digs. Michael McAlpine and Gabriel Mendes also had eight kills of their own, while Kyle Gray-Phillips' had seven digs on his stat line as well. Jake Gomes set up his teammates all night with a team-high 25 assists. 

Humber Highlights

• Humber has never lost to Conestoga in program history. Wednesday evening's victory marked the Hawks' 23^rd straight victory against the Condors.
• Since their debut in 1973, the Humber Hawks have won 193 matches on home court, with three coming this season (3-1).
• The Hawks' record is now above .500 for the first time this season.
• Michael McAlpine and Gabriel Mendes sit third and fourth in OCAA hitting percentage.
• Jake Gomes' 1.06 service aces per set rank him second in the OCAA. 

What's Next?

The Hawks will be on the road for a clash against the St. Clair Saints on Nov. 19. They will then battle Redeemer and Mohawk away from home before returning to North Campus Gym on Dec. 1 for a matchup with the Sheridan Bruins. First serve is scheduled for 8 p.m. and will be streamed live on the Hawks Sports Network.