Lakers a team “we are capable of beating” – coach Chris Wilkins
| SPORTS REPORTER
The Humber women’s volleyball team took a step back in its quest for the provincial championship last Sunday with a home loss to arch-rival Nipissing.
It was a reversal of the result that saw the Hawks (10-2) beat the undefeated Lakers for the gold medal in the Niagara invitational tournament Jan. 19 and 20.
“We are capable of beating them,” said head coach Chris Wilkins. “We just need to make less mistakes and work hard.”
The Hawks won the first set 25-21, led by Robyn Stafford’s five kills.
“At the beginning we played well,” said setter Heather Longland. “By the second set we needed to work on defence and our serves.”
Humber lost the next three sets: 26-24, 25-23 and 25-15. “We beat ourselves,” said middle Landis Doyle, who managed six kills, four blocks and two aces. “We had a lot of errors in the last three sets.” Robyn Stafford had the most points for the Hawks with 11 kills, two blocks and one ace.
“We worked hard, but not hard enough to defeat them,” Wilkins said. “Nipissing is a good team and it showed… why they are leading the division.”
The loss to the Lakers came a day after the Hawks swept the Canadore Panthers in three sets in the first match of a weekend double-header at home.
In the first set, the Hawks crushed the Panthers 25-12.
“The game helped us to play our defence,” said Doyle, who had six second-set kills, the last clinching a
25-14 set win. Humber won the final set 25-13.
“The big thing, minus our errors, is to work harder as a team,” Doyle said. “We could beat (Nipissing) in the championship.”
The Hawks final regular season game is next Wednesday at Sheridan College. Humber has already qualified for the provincial playoffs to be held at Georgian College in Barrie Feb. 22 to 24.