Despite high expectations following a dominant regular season, the Humber Women’s volleyball team is looking to have fun in the playoffs.
Head coach Chris Wilkins, in his 22nd year coaching the team, said the team is going to enjoy themselves as they work towards the national championship.
“We deserve to have some fun and see what we can do,” Wilkins said. “So we’re going to enjoy it and whatever happens, happens.”
The team finished the regular season with a record of 18-0, and only lost two sets in those games.
Humber has won two straight Ontario Collegiate Athletic Association (OCAA) women’s volleyball titles, and is currently ranked third in the country.
Assistant coach Taylor Robertson said that the culture of winning is normal to the team.
“It feels like a pretty normal day to day thing for us,” she said. “It’s not really like playoffs for us, it’s just another day for us to prepare.”
Co-captain Sydney Ferguson, in her fourth and final year with the team, said she has extra motivation after coming close to the national title last year.
“I would love to walk away with a national championship,” she said. “We came so close last year, getting a bronze at nationals, so it’d be nice to take home the gold this year.”
First year player Caitlyn Labelle said that she’s learned a lot in her first season.
Being on a team with a lot of pressure to perform, Labelle said she is confident in the team through the playoffs.
“I feel like it’ll be great because I think we’re able to win the national championships,” she said.
Ferguson said that the team started training in September for the season.
As the playoffs arrive, the team is ready to fight for every point on the court, no matter the game situation, she said.
“It’s important to just play our game and play every point hard,” Ferguson said. “No matter what, first point or last point of the game, we’re taking every point as if it’s the last.”
Robertson said that players like Ferguson in their last year playing gives the team extra motivation to work hard and be successful.
“They’re obviously a big part of our program and they mean a lot to us,” Robertson said. “So, being able to succeed and watching them lead the team to success is always an exciting time.”
Wilkins recognizes the pressure, and knows there’s a target on the team’s back.
He said they’re going to prepare to go up against any team that faces them.
“We know that, you know every team out there is going to be playing their best against us,” Wilkins said. “And we’ll work hard this week to make sure that we’re ready for sure.”
The team will start their OCAA title defence on Feb. 10 against George Brown, at the North campus.