FINAL FOUR SET AT OCAA MEN'S VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

NORTH YORK, Ont. - Recaps of Thursday's OCAA quarter-final men's volleyball matches played at Seneca College in North York, Ont.

Redeemer Royals defeat Sheridan Bruins 3-2 (17-25, 27-25, 14-25, 25-22, 15-13)

The opening game of the 2011 Adidas/VSP Sports OCAA Men’s Volleyball Championship showcased the many reasons that Ontario collegiate volleyball is amongst the most competitive in the nation. The Redeemer Royals (8-10 on the regular season), of Ancaster, Ont., who gained entry into the Championship tournament via a one-game playoff elimination win over the Loyalist Lancers took the Sheridan Bruins (Oakville, Ont.), who finished their season atop the West Region with a 15-3 record, to five sets and won in a thrilling 3-2 upset victory. Led in scoring by OCAA West Region All-Star Christian Vandergeest (20 Points, 17 Kills) of Kitchener, Ont., the Royals came back from trailing two sets to one and overcame a dominant performance by Sheridan’s Cody Williams, a native of Milton, Ontario, who notched a game-high 31 kills and had more than 20 after three sets.

Despite a rocky first set, losing 25-17, Redeemer bounced back with a hard-fought 27-25 victory in the second game. Surrey, BC’s David Klomps provided additional support on the scoresheet for Redeemer, pitching in with 18 Points and 16 Kills in a dynamic team effort by the Royals.

OCAA Player of the Year and Brampton native Andrew Henry earned 15 Kills for the Bruins, who have not qualified for an OCAA Men’s Volleyball Championship since 1994. Under the watchful eye of OCAA Coach of the Year, Dave McAllister, Sheridan has risen to the top of the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association standings.

Williams and Vandergeest were named Adidas/VSP Sports Players of the Game for their respective teams. Redeemer hosted the 2010 OCAA Men’s Volleyball Championship and won bronze on home court last season.

Mohawk Mountaineers defeat Durham Lords 3-1 (21-25, 25-23, 25-19, 25-19)

The regular season means absolutely nothing at The 2011 Adidas/VSP Sports OCAA Men’s Volleyball Championship. An exaggeration, no doubt, but one might make such a bold statement after witnessing the results after two games from the tournament taking place this weekend at Seneca College. After the No. 8 ranked Redeemer Royals defeated the No. 1 ranked Sheridan Bruins by a score of 3-2 in the Championship’s opening match, the Mohawk Mountaineers decided to do one better to the OCAA East Region Champion Durham Lords.

After Mohawk dropped the opening set 21-25, the Mountaineers tied things up and stepped in-front for good with back-to-back-to-back victories (25-23, 25-19, 25-19) using a balanced attack including three players scoring 10 Points and Kills or more. OCAA Rookie of the Year and London, Ont. product Justin Scapinello was one of those players for the Mountaineers joined by St. Catherines, Ontario’s Allan McGrath and Mo Sulaiman, of Hamilton, in leading the offensive attack for Mohawk.

Despite a strong start by Durham, The Lords could not generate sustained offence nor fully penetrate Mohawk’s strong defence. CCAA All-Canadian P.J. Cornelius of London, Ont., led the all scorers with 17 Points and 15 Kills but aside from his teammate and fellow OCAA 1st Team All-Star, Dave McMann, of Elmvale, Ont., no Lords player scored more than 10 Points or Kills.

McMann and McGrath were named Adidas/VSP Sports Players of the Game. Durham finished the regular season with OCAA best record of 16-2 while Mohawk recorded 12-6 mark on their campaign.

Humber Hawks defeat Nipissing Lakers 3-2 (21-25, 11-25, 25-23, 25-18, 15-7)

The third game of the 2011 OCAA Men’s Volleyball Championship demonstrated further evidence that parody in the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association is alive and well. The Humber Hawks (15-3 in West Region) fought back from down two sets to claim a five-set victory over the Nipissing Lakers (12-6 in West Region). Despite a strong start by the Lakers, in which they dominated the opening games of the match winning 25-21 and 25-11, Nipissing could not sustain their hot start. Strong performances by OCAA West Region All-Star and Wingham, Ont. native Scott Coulthard (17 Points and 16 Kills) and twin brothers Adam and Andre Leblanc (14 and 15 Points respectively), of Sudbury, Ont., helped fuel Nipissing’s strong start. However, after their second straight loss, the Hawks turned things around with a 25-23 victory in the third set.

Humber showcased its depth of talent with a balanced attack that featured five players with eight points or more. Adidas/VSP Sports Player of the Game Brandon Cullen, of Mississauga, Ont. led the Hawks attack with 11 Points and 10 Kills. After their tight third-set win, Humber began to apply additional pressure with a 25-18 victory, followed by a decisive final set win by a score of 15-7.

Coulthard rounded out the Player of the Game honours representing the Lakers in the loss. The Humber Hawks won gold at the 2010 OCAA Men’s Volleyball Championship hosted by Redeemer.

Seneca Sting defeat Fanshawe Falcons 3-0 (25-19, 25-22, 25-23)

The host Seneca Sting opened their first game at The 2011 Adidas/VSP Sports OCAA Men’s
Volleyball Championship with a decisive 3-0 victory over the Fanshawe Falcons before a raucous home crowd and Senecans watching online at www.SenecaSting.ca/2011Volleyball. The buzz in Seneca’s Newnham Gymnasium became apparent when The Sting and Falcons took to the court for their pregame warm-ups. The fans served as a very clear seventh man for Seneca in this three set win. From noisemakers to a high school dance team cheering with youthful exuberance, Seneca undoubtedly fed off the excitement.

Seneca’s strong first set did not translate into an easy second or third as Fanshawe battled in the final two games to keep the score close. The difference turned out to be Seneca’s defence. The Sting’s Evan Minshall of Scarborough led all players with four blocks in the match.

OCAA All-Star Jason Hernandez, of Harron, Ont., led the Sting with 12 Kills while London, Ontario’s Scott Brannigan topped the Falcons with 13. Both were later named Adidas/VSP Sports Players of the Game. Seneca has won back-to-back silver medals in the last two OCAA Men’s Volleyball Championships.

Friday, February 25
Bronze Quarter-Finals
2 p.m. Durham vs. Sheridan
4 p.m. Fanshawe vs. Nipissing
OCAA Semifinals
6 p.m. Mohawk vs. Redeemer
8 p.m. Seneca vs. Humber

Championship Website and Webcast: http://www.senecac.on.ca/ocaa/

Source: Seneca College