Kajan Thiruthanikasalam (Sports Writer, Colts Athletics)
SCARBOROUGH, ONT.- Feb. 13, 2016. That was the last time the Centennial Colts men's volleyball team won a regular season game at home.
That streak came to an end Wednesday night.
Centennial (1-0) snapped a nine game home losing streak in a intensity-filled game with a 3-1 (26-24, 26-24, 17-25, 25-22) win over the Fleming Knights in front of a raucous crowd at Athletic and Wellness Centre.
The win also snapped a 17-game losing streak, dating back to last season's season opener, for the Colts. It was also Centennial's first win against Fleming since being brought back into the OCAA.
"Since the beginning of this season, we've been pretty hard on ourselves," outside hitter Sev Libramonte said. "To finally get a win at home after so long feels good."
"Are we relieved that we won a home game? Absolutely," assistant coach Chichky Hua said. "But we want to continue this momentum in the next few games going forward."
With the earlier win by the women over Fleming, it marks the first time that both the men's and women's volleyball teams won their season opener on the same day. It also marks the first time that the men's and women's volleyball teams won on the same day since Feb. 13, 2016, against the George Brown Huskies.
The Colts had a whopping 41 digs compared to the Knights' 13. Centennial also outpaced Fleming in kills (45-32) and assists (38-27) despite committing 19 more kill errors (32-13) and 14 less blocked shots (20-6 in favour of Fleming).
Outside hitter Jordan Saddler led the Colts with 12 points on 12 kills while middle blockers Arya Yaghini (11) and Jason Fillion (10) finished in double digit scoring. Yaghini and Fillion also paced the Colts with two blocked shots each.
Libero Calvin Yu had a game high 15 digs while setter Adam Yu Qiu had a game high 32 assists in the win.
Centennial came out flying to start the game as they scored the first three points of the set with a kill from Libramonte and blocks from outside hitter Griffin Dubbeld and Fillion. The Colts went up by as many as 10 (17-7) before Fleming started to chip away.
Even then, the Colts had four chances to put the set away (24-20). However, the Knights fought off all four set points to tie the set at 24 before the Colts recovered with two straight points to take a set against Fleming for the first time in three years.
"I think it was the cohesion that we have this year," Libramonte said. "We always had the talent but for us to stay composed throughout the game was the biggest difference tonight."
In the second set, Centennial took control early, scoring four straight points to take a 10-5 lead and forced a Knights timeout. Fleming, once again, started to chip away but a huge service ace from Dubbeld late in the set gave the Colts a 24-21 lead and a chance at set point.
The Knights, once again, fought off those set points to tie the set at 24. But Centennial was not rattled as they scored the next two points, highlighted by a Saddler kill, to take the second set.
Fleming finally took their first lead in the third set taking an early 7-3 lead but Centennial tied the set up at 10. The Knights, however, began to pull away from there, highlighted by five straight points late in the set, as they easily took the third set, 25-17.
It looked like a repeat of the third set initially as Fleming forced a Colts timeout early in the fourth set, as they led 12-6. The Knights still held a 17-12 lead midway but Centennial showed its growth as a team, going on a 5-0 run, capped off by a service ace from Qiu, to tie the set at 17.
"It just shows that we've never given up," Libramonte said about the team's growth and poise throughout the game.
"We're not thinking about the past," Hua said. "We're trying to make sure the players and coaches are in the moment and competing point-by-point as the season goes along."
Fleming then scored the next two points, before Centennial scored the next four points to take their first lead of the fourth set at 21-19. A Knights kill error on match point, with the Colts up 24-22, sealed the win for Centennial, sending its fans home happy.
Like tonight, Centennial also won their first game of the season last year. What will continue the momentum going forward?
"What we've been preaching hasn't been the results; it's been the process," Hua said. "As Philadelphia 76ers as it is, we got to trust the process. Working hard at practice and making sure we hold each other accountable will be key to a long and successful season."
About the goals for this season, Libramonte said, "This is my last year and I want to make the playoffs. I want to be part of the team that came from the beginning and bring them to the postseason and to continue forward."
Up Next: Centennial heads on the road to play the Seneca Sting on Wednesday Nov. 1, at 8:00 pm.