No. 5 Humber Opens Championship With Win Over Mohawk, 3-0

ETOBICOKE, Ont –- No. 5 Humber (16-2, 2nd West) opened the 2019 OCAA Men's Volleyball Championship with a straight-set sweep over the Mohawk Mountaineers Thursday night at the North Campus Gym, 25-19, 25-22, and 25-16.

The opening frame saw both teams racking up kills with the teams combining for 27 in the set. With Jake Gomes quarterbacking the offence, Humber was able to outgun the Mountaineers with 17 kills. The Hawks were able to string together enough points to take a close opening set, 25-19.

The second set was even tighter than the first, with both teams jockeying with the lead. Humber called a timeout midway through the frame trailing Mohawk, 13-15. The Hawks came out of that break hot going on a 6-2 run forcing Mohawk to call a timeout now down 19-17. Mohawk (9-9, 5th West) would fail to pull back even with Humber, dropping the second set 25-22. John Obi paced the Hawks with six points in the frame - all coming off kills, two of which came during the Hawks' run.

The third set was the least competitive on the night with Mohawk struggling early having to call a timeout trailing 7-2. That deficit would prove too much as Humber didn't allow any runs for the Mountaineers to get back into the set. An emphatic spike by Rrezart Sadiku put the Hawks on match point, before Jaskarn Kalsi closed out the match with a kill of his own, as Humber took the final set 25-16 and the match in straight sets.

Gomes' passing was key for the Hawks all night as he finished with 37 assists in the match.

Fifth-year middle Rafael Leite was named the player of the game for Mohawk, as he finished with eight points on six kills and two blocks.

Second-year middle John Obi was named the player of the game for Humber, putting up 11 points on the night, all coming by way of kills.

Humber will now advance to play the winner of Georgian/Niagara in the second of two semifinals scheduled Friday evening.

For the Mountaineers they await the loser of the Niagara/Georgian match in the second consolation semifinal.