The Humber Hawks women’s volleyball team maintain a perfect record of 11-0 going into the 2023 winter break.
They took on the Niagara Knights and St. Clair Saints in their final two games of the fall semester, and were dominant as they came away with three sets to zero victories in both.
The game against St. Clair was extremely important as the teams were separated by one win going in, and a loss would have seen both sitting in first in OCAA standings.
They didn’t let that thought linger, and although St. Clair made each set close, Humber stayed grounded to secure their eleventh win.
Second year Libero Reese Cholette was named as a Humber athlete of the week for her outstanding play in games 10 and 11.
She had eight successful digs in the win against Niagara and a phenomenal game against St. Clair where she tallied a career-high 24 digs to go along with six assists.
Cholette said receiving the award means a great deal to her and the team.
“We all put in a lot of work on and off the court,” Cholette said. “Just to get some recognition now and then, it feels pretty good to know your work is going somewhere.”
Recognition for the play of this team is continuously rising as they keep working their way up the national rankings. Humber’s defence is what stands out the most.
The team has become accustomed to shutting down opposition teams.
They have only dropped two sets throughout the entire season, both coming in November wins against Cambrian and Redeemer.
Cholette said the team’s’ record speaks for itself.
“We have a really good team that works really well together,” Cholette said.
“We have in mind the same goal so we hold each other accountable to show up every day,” she said.
The team is playing at an incredible pace, and another trip to the OCAA playoffs is looking more than certain.
The team currently sits first in the OCAA standings, and now are ranked third amongst all CCAA teams, only behind Lakeland and VIU.
A deep OCAA playoff run is nothing out of the ordinary for the team.
The team has won gold in back-to-back seasons, and in turn have won 13 gold medals in the last 15 years. As well, Humber women’s volleyball has claimed at least OCAA bronze in 19 of the last 20 seasons.
What has eluded this great team, however, is national glory.
Humber has claimed only two CCAA medals in women’s volleyball since it began in 1978, those coming in bronze medal games in the 2015-16 and 2022-23 seasons.
Head coach Chris Wilkins said the team gained experience from last year’s bronze medal win and are ready for whatever challenges lie ahead.
“I think we are better than last year,” Wilkins said.
“I think we’re deeper, I think we’re stronger…but we gotta really hold ourselves to a high standard, so that if we do get to nationals, we’ll be prepared,” he said.
The team will use the holiday break to rest up and refuel before returning in the new year to battle for another chance at an OCAA playoff title.
The first game after the break is against the fifth place Niagara Knights on Jan. 10 at 6 p.m.