Men’s Volleyball sweeps Durham on Valentine’s Day to advance to the quarter-final
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Durham (0-1, 0-1) | 22 | 19 | 20 | 0 |
|
Humber (1-0, 1-0) | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
By: Fernando Bossoes
Humber Athletics Communication
ETOBICOKE – Humber men's volleyball (12-5, 2nd West) opened the OCAA postseason in style, dominating the Durham Lords (8-9, 7th East) in straight sets (25-22, 25-19, 25-20) on Saturday afternoon at the Hawks' Nest.
Enzo Endres led the Hawks offensively with a game-high 19 points, while Kyle Gray-Phillips dominated on all sides of the court, recording 12 points and 10 digs.
Match recap
The OCAA crossover round carried the weight of history. The Humber Hawks faced the Durham Lords for the first time in six years. On paper, the Hawks were the clear favourites, but the Lords brought added motivation after falling to Humber in the 2020 OCAA gold medal match the last time the two teams met.
In the opening set, the Hawks grabbed the lead early, though service errors on both sides kept the score close throughout. The tension peaked late, with Humber and Durham trading points past the 20 mark. A timely double block from Dante Sugarman and Kyle Gray-Phillips sealed a decisive 25-22 set win for the Hawks.
After an even start to the second set, Humber created a comfortable lead midway through the frame. The Hawks' presence in the middle took over, as Sugarman and Apolo Bras each recorded solo blocks to swing the momentum. Humber went on to close the set 25-19.
The Hawks got off to a commanding 7-1 lead in the third, but Durham refused to give up, battling back to even the score at 11-11. Late in the set, in the decisive moments, senior Gray-Phillips delivered a stellar performance, recording three late kills and two aces to power Humber to a 25-20 win.
Kyle Gray-Phillips was named the Player of the Game, recording 12 points, two blocks, 10 digs and one service ace.
Humber Highlights
- Humber improves to 10-18 all-time against Durham and 7-9 in OCAA postseason play.
- Wayne Wilkins boasts a 458-148 all-time record and a 68-32 all-time OCAA playoff record.
- The Hawks have won 21 consecutive games in OCAA postseason play.
- Humber holds a 15-3 all-time record in the OCAA crossover round.
- Enzo Endres has recorded double-digit scoring in 14 of the 17 matches he played this season.
- Kyle Gray-Phillips' 10 digs are a season-high
What's next?
The Hawks move on to host the winner of Canadore Panthers (13-3, 3rd East) and the Conestoga Condors (8-8, 6th West) in the OCAA quarterfinals on Saturday, Feb. 21. The match is set for 3 p.m. and will be streamed live on the Hawks Sports Network.
