The Humber men's volleyball team held practice and recovery sessions on Feb. 11, just days before their weekend quarter-final match against the Niagara Knights.
The Hawks come from defeating the Seneca Sting by straight sets on Feb. 8 in their first playoff game at the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA).
Their second practice of the week continued as usual, while some team players had in-game practice and others had therapy sessions with doctors.
After the in-game practice, players started serving for 10 to 15 minutes before stretching to end the practice.
Humber’s hitter Jake Butt said he’s been satisfied with the current season's results and performance.
“I feel like we have a lot of energy going into the playoffs,” Butt said. “There's a lot of people that have our backs.”
Butt said he expects a battle against the Knights on Saturday, Feb. 15, and that the team is ready to face.
Humber’s middle Michael McAlpine emphasized playing at home’s advantage where the team is unbeaten and showed their best performance throughout the regular season, evidenced by the 9-0 record of the Hawks playing at The Nest.
“We know we’re at home,” McAlpine said. “we're all pretty confident.”
He also expects a battle on Saturday, especially after their last meeting on Jan. 15 when the Hawks defeated the Knights at home in a five-set match.
Men’s volleyball coach Wayne Wilkins said it is special for his players to play at home, not only for their comfort but also for the entertainment of the fans.
“Our fans are fantastic, these kids (players) come to practice, and they work hard all week long to be able to get to a match,” Wilkins said. “These guys really love putting on a show for them.”
Practice went pretty well for the players and we'll be motivated and ready to get our spot in the semifinal, he said.
The Hawks ended the regular season in first place in the West Conference with a 16-2 record, while Niagara Knights ended up in the fifth position with a 9-9 record in the OCAA.
Humber’s previous two games against Niagara were victories, including a five-set thriller on Jan. 15 at the Nest which was the last clash between both teams.
The Knights got into the quarterfinals after defeating the Durham Lords in straight sets, while the Hawks did the same against Seneca.
The Hawks, the No. 1 ranked team in the province, No. 3 in the country and four-peat champions of the OCAA are looking to secure their 18th straight win at the OCAA playoffs this Saturday.
Humber’s team leaders are outsider Teyven Blackmore who leads the Hawks in both kills and kills per set (187 and 3.60), along with a 0.62 average of aces per set, the highest number in the OCAA, and settler Alex Segui, who owns the highest number of digs and digs per set within the team with 104 and 1.93 respectively.
Niagara Knights middle locker Rowan Redekop leads the OCAA with the highest number of blocks per set with a 0.90 average.
The quarter-final match is set to begin this Saturday, Feb. 15, at 3 p.m. at Humber North campus.
