Bio
At some point, the well of new words runs dry.
Watching and following the No. 12 Humber women's volleyball program means a constant search for fresh and innovative ways to describe the same ending.
Every year brings new challenges. New faces. Season after season, we try to frame it differently. And yet, the result feels unmistakably familiar.
OCAA gold on the line. Pressure at its peak. Humber delivers.
And just when it seemed this year would require a different script, the Hawks dug out of a two-set hole and completed a reverse sweep, adding a fresh layer of drama to an inevitable story. The Hawks (18-2, 2nd West) once again rose to the moment, reverse sweeping the No. 7 St. Clair Saints (17-3, 1st West) (22-25, 20-25, 25-14, 25-21, 15-11). For the Saints, this is the second consecutive year they have fallen just short on the biggest stage.
For the Hawks, they have once again proved why they are the standard in the OCAA. The kind of excellence that forces you to search for new descriptions to simply call what it is.
The gold standard of Ontario volleyball.
And in the middle of it all is head coach Chris Wilkins, now the owner of 18 OCAA gold medals. A number that no other program in the province has in stock, and 31 per cent of all the gold medals ever handed out by the conference.
Match recap
The big stage. For the second straight year, the OCAA had the Humber Hawks and the St. Clair Saints facing off for gold. The Saints were chasing their first crown since 1997, and with two regular-season wins over Humber, the gold felt closer than ever before.
On the other side, the Hawks were just one win away from a fifth consecutive championship and the program's historic 20th OCAA gold medal.
It was a very even opening set from both teams, with the score locked at 21-21. Late reception struggles from the Hawks opened the door for the Saints to take it 25-22.
The second followed a similar script, with teams battling point-for-point throughout. Late in the frame, Humber's offensive and defensive miscues proved costly, allowing the Saints to pull away, 25-20.
Facing elimination, the Hawks knew they needed a spark in the third set. No one other than All-Canadian Keyome Ellis came up clutch. Ellis swung the momentum with key blocks and kills, powering Humber to a dominant 25-14 third-set victory.
Playing with renewed energy and focus in the fourth, the Hawks forced a deciding set with a 25-21 win.
It all came down to the tiebreaker set. In pressuring moments like this, Humber looks at home. The Hawks led 8-4 at the switch and never let up. Lexie Zicari and Hannah Manners hammered down unstoppable kills to bring Humber to match point at 14-11, and a Saints service error sealed the 15-11 comeback win.
Just when it seemed there were no new ways to be surprised, this team finds one. A reverse sweep to clinch the provincial crown and secure the five-peat.
This is the volleyball standard in Ontario.
Player of the Match
Tournament All-Stars
Tournament MVP
Humber Highlights
- The Hawks have captured OCAA gold 16 times in the last 18 years.
- Humber now owns 30 OCAA medals across 40 seasons (20 gold, six silver and four bronze).
- The Hawks have eight more OCAA gold medals than the second-most decorated program in the province, the Seneca Sting.
- Head coach Chris Wilkins has won 18 OCAA gold medals — more than any other single program in the province.
- This was Humber's sixth consecutive OCAA gold medal match and its 26th in the past 29 seasons.
- Humber improves to 42-12 all-time against St. Clair.
- The Hawks move to 20-6 all-time in the OCAA championship match.
- Humber improves to a 98-28 all-time record in OCAA postseason play.
- The Hawks have 24 straight wins in the OCAA postseason, a streak dating back to March 10, 2022.
- Wilkins improves to 475-65 all-time and 75-8 all-time in the OCAA postseason.
- Keyome Ellis now has two OCAA Championship MVP accolades ('22 & '26)