The Humber Hawks women’s volleyball team is moving on to its 26th consecutive OCAA semifinal.
The Hawks defeated the Conestoga Condors in straight sets Saturday night, improving their record against them to 27-0.
The game was close, but the Hawks’ top-end talent came through right when the team needed it.
Head Coach Chris Wilkins said he liked his team’s performance despite them not being at their best.
“There’s a lot of emotions at this time of the year and I was really pleased that the girls stuck together and sort of grinded out a win, so that was good,” he said.
The game featured clutch performances by Erika Dodd, who was recently named West Division Player of the Year, and fourth-year middle blocker Keyome Ellis.
The two accounted for 28 of the team’s 50 points and played integral roles in stopping any potential Condors runs.
Leah Serlin, a fourth-year outside hitter, also excelled all night, as she was named Hawks player of the game.
Wilkins said while they were the standout players in the game, the team’s depth was a key to the victory.
“Every night there’s somebody else that steps up, whether it’s when someone’s injured and someone else comes in and does something, but certainly tonight it was nice to see different people at different times give people a break,” he said.
Wilkins said a big priority for the team moving forward is continuing to elevate their level of play and energy.
Playing loser and not dwelling on each individual point is another major key to success, especially at this time of year, he said.
The Hawks have a great deal of confidence heading into their next game, and for good reason, having won 10 straight playoff games without even dropping a set.
While approaching playoff games with confidence is a must, Wilkins said the team must remain grounded and focus on the little details to secure victory.
“I believe we’re the best team, but there are three other teams that believe they’re the best team, too. So we’re going to have to go out and work and earn it,” he said.
Reese Cholette, who returned to the lineup after missing three games, also praised the team for their resilience.
“I think that we really worked hard together and we knew our goals going in so we just kind of held each other accountable for that,” she said.
Cholette said the team has adopted a perfectionist attitude, which has been a big reason for the team’s undefeated record this year.
This can also be a negative, and the team must ensure to be less hard on themselves at times and trust in their abilities, she said.
Alix Schewaga, a first-year setter on the team, said what the team worked on in practice prepared them well for the matchup.
“I think all week we really focused on setting out when getting the ball, and I think we as a team did that really well,” she said.
The atmosphere in the gym was electric all night as fans cheered and ultimately went home happy.
For their semifinal matchup, the Hawks will face the Loyalist Lancers on Feb. 23 as they look to play for a chance to secure a third straight provincial title.