OCAA WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIP COMES TO KING CITY

KING CITY, Ont. - For the second time in three years, Seneca Polytechnic plays host to the 2026 Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) Women's Volleyball Championship beginning Friday at Magna Hall Gymnasium in King City, Ont.

The undefeated Seneca Sting will look to dethrone the four-time reigning champion Humber Hawks, as will sledgehammer rivals St. Clair Saints and Durham Lords. The final four teams represent the top two teams from the East and West Divisions during the regular season.

The championship will feature three All-Canadian student-athletes in St. Clair's Kiana Huggins (London), Humber's Hannah Manners (Toronto) and Seneca's Mikyla Patras (Stony Plain, Alta.).

A pair of semifinals will take place on Friday, with OCAA bronze and gold medal matches taking place on Saturday. The OCAA champion will advance to the 2026 Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association Women's Volleyball National Championship taking place in Niverville, Man.

All games will be streamed for free on OCAA LIVE.

Humber Hawks, Toronto (14-2, 2nd West) vs Seneca Sting, King City (16-0, 1st East)
Friday, Feb. 27 - 4:30 p.m.

No caffeine is required to get excited for this matchup worthy of an OCAA final.

The four-time defending champion Humber Hawks and undefeated Seneca Sting, winners of 18 straight including the post-season, will meet not only for a chance to live another day but also some well-deserved bragging rights.

The Sting have dropped only five sets all season, although two came in a five-set nail biter against the Redeemer Royals in last Friday's quarter-finals.

Humber has the second longest active winning streak in OCAA at eight matches. The Hawks have not lost a set in six matches.

Patras, a third-year outside hitter, led all OCAA players averaging 5.0 points and 4.21 kills per set during the regular season. Teammates Emily Coughlan (Toronto), a third-year setter, was first in the OCAA averaging 10.04 assists per set, while Emmi Nicholas (London), a third-year libero, was second in the league averaging 3.84 digs per set.

Manners, a fifth-year right side, was third among OCAA players averaging 4.4 points per set during the regular season, and fifth averaging 3.58 kills. First-year setter Jessie McDonaugh (Calgary, Alta.) led the Hawks with 202 assists in 13 matches, and fourth-year libero Reese Cholette (Oakville) was third in the conference averaging 3.64 digs per set.

The Hawks have won an unprecedented 19 OCAA championships. The Sting last won an OCAA crown in 1996.

Durham Lords, Oshawa (14-2, 2nd East) vs St. Clair Saints, Windsor (14-2, 1st West)
Friday, Feb. 27 - 7 p.m.

The nightcap features a couple of 16-win teams when including post-season results.

While it may lack the hype of the Humber-Seneca matchup, both the Durham Lords (2023) and St. Clair Saints (2025) are recent OCAA silver medalists and worthy of a shot at the gold.

The Saints won the West Division benefiting from a couple of four-set wins over the Hawks during the regular season. St. Clair has a modest four-match winning streak entering play on Friday.

Durham's only blemishes on an otherwise stellar campaign came at the hands of the Sting. The Lords are currently on a five-match winning streak.

Huggins, a fifth-year outside hitter, was second in the OCAA averaging 4.6 points and 3.87 kills per set during the regular season. Saints fourth-year setter Emma Clements (Windsor) was fifth among OCAA players averaging 8.09 assists per set, while fifth-year libero Hannah Gill (Yale, Mich.) was ninth in the conference averaging 3.11 digs per set.

Second-year outsider-hitter Elizabeth McFarland (Courtice) led all Lords averaging 3.6 points and 2.71 kills per set during the regular season. Durham fifth-year setter Brooke Young (Chestermere, Alta.) was sixth among OCAA players averaging 7.77 assists per set, while third-year player Chelsea Oke (Brooklin) contributed a team-best 3.02 digs per set.

Both programs are looking to erase long championship droughts. Durham's last gold medal came in 2002, while St. Clair last celebrated an OCAA title in 1997.

Live Webcast: www.ocaa.com/live

Friday, February 27
Semi-Finals
Semi-Final #1: Humber vs. Seneca - 4:30 p.m.
Semi-Final #2: Durham vs. St. Clair - 7 p.m.

Saturday, February 28
Bronze Medal Match
Loser Semi-Final #1 vs. Loser Semi-Final #2 - 3:30 p.m.
Winning team presented OCAA Bronze Medal at conclusion of match

Gold Medal Match
Winner Semi-Final #1 vs. Winner Semi-Final #2 - 6 p.m.
OCAA Gold and Silver Medals presented at conclusion of match

- OCAA -

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