Niagara Falls Review e-edition

Knights’ big four ranked provincially

Women and men crack the top 10 in volleyball, hoops

BERND FRANKE REGIONAL SPORTS EDITOR

Niagara hosts Mohawk on Saturday afternoon hoping to return to the win column in men’s and women’s college volleyball.

Both Niagara teams were swept at home by Humber after starting the week eighth in the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association rankings. The Knights lost their second in a row to fall to 8-7 in men’s volleyball while the Niagara women dropped to 9-6 in league play.

Elijah Bugiardi, with nine kills, four stuff blocks and a service ace, and Dallas Melnick, with 11 kills and three service aces, paced the men’s team in a 3-0 loss — 25-22, 25-20, 25-23 — that evened the season series with the Hawks at one win apiece. Niagara opened the season with a 3-1 victory at Humber.

On Wednesday, no Niagara player scored in double digits as the Humber women won 3-0 — 25-20, 25-21, 25-21 — to complete a sweep in head-to-head play and improve to 15-0.

Hope Nicholson, with five kills and two service aces, and Montana Taylor, with five kills a service ace and a stuff block, led the Knights with seven points each.

Niagara’s hoops teams also began February ranked provincially. Like their volleyball counterparts, they took on Humber in a doubleheader, as well, in their case in Toronto.

The 10th-ranked Niagara men, down one spot from the week before, held on to clip the Hawks, 6744, after leading 44-32 at halftime. Ethan DelaCruz (16), Reggie Williams (13) and Delroy Grandison (11) scored in double digits and Kenneth Reckley had eight rebounds as the Knights improved to 8-6.

In women’s basketball, the Knights, ranked eighth in the conference, fell to 6-6 following a 62-51 loss to Humber (13-0). Molly Taylor, from A.N. Myer Secondary School in Niagara Falls, recorded a double-double for Niagara with 12 points and 15 rebounds. Taryn Mitchell, from Lakeshore Catholic in Port Colborne, and Jamira Rousseau, from Notre Dame, in Welland, netted15 and10 points, respectively.

The Knights return to the court Wednesday when they host Conestoga at the Athletic Centre in Welland. Niagara swept the Condors — 87-85 in men’s and 63-57 in women’s — to tip off the home-andhome last November in Kitchener.

The 2022-23 OCAA Women’s Basketball Championship is taking place March 3-5 at Niagara College.

SPORTS

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2023-02-04T08:00:00.0000000Z

2023-02-04T08:00:00.0000000Z

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