Humber’s Hawks men's volleyball team defeated the St Clair Saints in a five-set thriller on Nov. 30.
Both teams started the season slowly in the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA), with Humber accumulating three losses, more than last season's two. St Clair has yet to win an away match, going 0-3 so far.
Before the game, Saints head coach Shawn Reaume said both teams were still trying to find their rhythm this season, making this matchup feel balanced.
“I feel like we're kind of both in the same boat, where we're hot and cold,” he said. “Today is about worrying about our side and having a lot of fun because we love to play in this gym.”
Reaume praised Humber's ability to bring their energy and composure to matches, and he said he hopes his team can match that.
“It's something that's really impressive, [Humber] has been that way for a lot of years,” he said. “So generally, we kind of rise to that and do something similar when we play here.”
Humber is coming off a sweep set win against Fanshawe Falcons, who are first in the OCAA Western division, on Nov. 27.
Hawks head coach Wayne Wilkins said he expected the Saints to be a tough opponent despite the team's away record, and hopes his team can bring their energy from the game on Thursday.
“The boys played really well against Fanshawe, and you know we're going to be probably riding that high into the game today,” he said. “St. Clair's a very good team. The fact that they haven't won a game outside is kind of surprising because they [have] a good squad.”
The first set saw both teams trade the lead, with the highest point gap throughout the set being only three, making it anyone's game to grab.
The Hawks reclaimed the lead after tying the game at 16, after trailing. They would also maintain the lead to win the set 25-22 after a Saints player tipped the ball out of bounds.
The second set was much of the same as the first, with both teams keeping the score tight. However, Humber could not secure the set as they lost 25-22 as the game was tied up.
The third set would see the Hawks struggle throughout the game, with service errors committed in the early stages.
A timeout by Humber as they trailed 22-18, hoping to tie the score. This ultimately was successful as the team scored four consecutive points, which brought a timeout call by St. Clair.
However, the Hawks could not complete a quick turnaround as the Saints would win 25-22, scoring three unanswered points.
In a must-win situation, Humber dominated the fourth set with first-year outside hitter Enzo Endres being the star of the show as he provided four straight service aces and accumulated nine points in this set.
The Hawks would comfortably win the set 25-13 as they head into the final set.
The fifth set would see Humber continue its momentum from the previous set, dominating by racking up seven points.
The Saints worked to try to even the score, but it wasn’t enough as Humber won the final set after a successful block by the second-year middle blocker Apolo Bras.
Bras recorded three unanswered service aces in the game, a career high.
He said the team was more energetic and focused heading into the fourth set.
“We got more energy and focus,” Bras said. “We started to serve better, get more balls in the service [zone], [and] get more side outs.”
Endres was given the Player of the Game for his stellar performance of a career-high of 25 points, 17 kills and six service aces.
He was also named Humber and OCAA Volleyball Athlete of the Week.
Endres said the motivation came from the frustration with his own teammates.
“I was serving the other games, and the guys always pass like a one,” he said. “l was like, ‘When am I going to start getting aces?’ so I just pushed myself.”
After the game, Wilkins said the momentum changed after his team stepped up in the game.
“Once we started serving tough and we sped up the game, they couldn't keep up, and that was the difference maker,” he said.
The Hawks will be back in action in the new year as they will have a rematch against St. Clair in Windsor, Ont., on Jan. 10, 2026. First serve is set to begin at 1 p.m.
