The Centennial Colts Men's Volleyball team is off to a roaring start, now boasting a 5-0 record. Their recent victories have been impressive, including a thrilling five-set win over an excellent club in the Durham Lords and a decisive three-set sweep against the Canadore Panthers. With these performances, the Colts are now ranked second in the province, trailing only the defending champions, the Humber Hawks.
Tonight, the Colts will face off against their cross-town rivals, the George Brown Huskies (2-3), at 8:00 PM at George Brown's St. James Campus. The Colts have recently held the upper hand, going 3-1 against the Huskies over the last two seasons. However, the Huskies handed them a tough road loss in their last encounter—a close five-set match that marked the start of a two-game losing streak for Centennial. Under the guidance of their new head coach, Tyler Latu'ila - formerly an assistant coach for York University Volleyball and Team Canada Beach Volleyball - the Huskies have been performing well. They're coming off a 3-1 victory over the Canadore Panthers, a team the Colts also defeated in their last match.
Despite their record, the Huskies have shown signs of strength and resilience, especially with their size advantage. However, they've struggled with serving, leading the league in service errors with 126—a weakness the Colts will aim to exploit to establish an early lead.
The Colts, on the other hand, have proven themselves as a formidable defensive team. Led by captain Pedro Casellatto, their defence is bolstered by a solid block led by rookie standout Michael Corapi and backed by libero Pedro, making them one of the hardest teams to score against. They currently rank third in blocks and have demonstrated incredible defensive tenacity, getting to nearly every ball.
Offensively, the Colts have the upper hand with reigning OCAA East Division kill leader Gianluca Righetto, helping the team rank second in both total kills and kills per set. Their unselfish, cohesive style of play is also reflected in their league-leading assists and second-place standing in assists per game. If the Colts can stick to their game plan and capitalize on the Huskies' service errors, they stand an excellent chance of extending their winning streak.
Tonight's game begins at 8:00 PM and will take place at the Alex Barbier Gym at the St. James Campus. Colts fans won't want to miss this exciting matchup as Centennial aims to keep their perfect season alive.