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CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH: Nait Ooks 3, Titans de Limoilou 0 The NAIT Ooks defeated the Tiatns de Limoilour to earn their first 2024 CCAA Men's Volleyball National Championship. More to come. |
Day 2 Recap:
The other semi-final tonight, the NAIT Ooks are heading to the championship game for the first time in their team's history. The Ooks stunned last year's silver medalists in the first two sets as they dominated early, winning 25-16 and 25-16. The Hawks weren't going down easy and changed the momentum in the third. The clawed their way to victory 25-20, putting a damper on the Ooks that carried over into the next set. Humber didn't back down to NAIT and took the fourth set 25-19. In a back and forth fifth set nail biter, the Ooks were able to secure the final two points for victory and advance to the gold medal game with a 16-14 win.
Josh Watson recorded 13 kills and five service aces which earned him Player of the Game for the Ooks. With 16 kills, the Hawks Player of the Game was Marcus Morgan.
The Ooks will play for gold against the Titans on Sunday at 5pm, while the Hawks will play in a bronze semi-final against the Falcons on Saturday at 7pm.
Day 1 Recap:
MATCH 3: Northern Alberta Institute for Technology (NAIT) Ooks 3, Providence Pilots 2
In the third quarter-final, the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) champions, the NAIT Ooks squared off against the Manitoba Colleges Athletic Association (MCAA) winners, the Providence Pilots.
The Pilots took a decisive 2-0 lead, winning the first sets 26-24 and 25-22. NAIT powered back in a game-changing third set, bringing the score within one, then going on to win 25-22. They didn't stop there; the Ooks tied the game with a 25-18 victory in the fourth and took the game with a solid 15-8 final set win.
Noah Boschman from the Pilots put down 20 kills, earning him Player of the Game. On the opposite side, Shae McIntyre was named Ooks Player of the Game, contributing 21 kills to his team's victory.
NAIT Ooks at Nationals
The NAIT Ooks men's volleyball team is set to make a historic appearance at the CCAA Men's Volleyball Nationals in Victoria, BC, hosted by Camosun College. Their journey to Nationals was marked by a remarkable performance in the ACAC Championships, where they faced a tough challenge against Red Deer in the semi-finals. Down 2-0, the Ooks displayed unwavering resilience, staging a remarkable comeback to secure a 3-2 victory with extra points in the fifth set, boasting set scores of 23-25, 26-24, 25-23, 25-16, and an intense 22-20. The momentum carried into the gold medal game against the Keyano Huskies, where the Ooks clinched the title with a triumphant 3-set win, marking their first ACAC Championship in 47 years. This historic win earns them a well-deserved spot in the CCAA Nationals. Ranked first their pool and are gearing up to face the fourth-ranked Providence Pilots in the CCAA Quarter-Finals on March 7th at 5:30 PM PST. The NAIT Ooks are poised to showcase their prowess on the national stage and aim to continue their impressive journey.
The action-packed tournament begins today, so make sure to mark your calendars and tune in to support the Ooks! We'll be providing daily updates on the team's progress, so be sure to check back every evening. And for even more information, including a live stream of the tournament, click the links below. Let's go Ooks!