The Algonquin Wolves men's volleyball team opened their 2025–26 OCAA regular season in style on Saturday night, defeating the Centennial Colts 3–1 at the Jack Doyle Athletics and Recreation Centre.
The Wolves came out firing on all cylinders to start the match. Derek Webster sparked the early momentum with a kill from the left side, followed by an ace from Gavin Hassell to give Algonquin an early 4–0 lead. Making his return to the lineup after a season overseas, Connor Finnie quickly made his presence felt with a big kill from the left side to extend the advantage. The Wolves controlled the tempo throughout the opening frame and cruised to a 25–15 win.
The second set was more tightly contested early on, with the teams trading points to 5–5. A ball-handling error from Centennial, a block by Nick Gauthier-Barber, and another big swing from Webster pushed the Wolves ahead 8–5, forcing a Colts timeout. Algonquin continued to apply pressure from both the service line and the net, with Hassell adding another ace to make it 13–8. Centennial managed to close the gap to 13–12, but a string of unforced errors helped the Wolves regain control. Another Barber ace extended the lead, and consistent serving from Hassell kept the Colts off balance as Algonquin closed out the set 25–16 to take a 2–0 lead.
The third set remained close throughout, with the Wolves holding a narrow 18–16 advantage late. However, Centennial found their rhythm, coming up with several key blocks to even the score and eventually take the set 25–20.
In the fourth, the Wolves quickly reasserted themselves. With the score tied at 5, Mateo Nunez Kruus went on a three-point service run to put Algonquin ahead 8–5. Finnie continued to score efficiently in transition, helping to extend the lead to 13–6 after a Colts timeout. From there, the Wolves shut the door defensively and finished the match with a dominant 25–15 victory, capped by a huge block from Kruus in the middle.
Connor Finnie led the Wolves' attack in his return, finishing with 14 kills and an ace. Derek Webster was outstanding in his Wolves debut, also recording 14 kills to go along with 3 aces and a block. Setter Gavin Hassell had a well-rounded performance, dishing out 16 assists while adding 3 kills, 7 aces, and 3 blocks for a team-high 13 points.
The Wolves (1–0) will now shift their focus to a crosstown showdown against the La Cité Coyotes on Wednesday, October 28 at 8:00 p.m. at the Jack Doyle Athletics and Recreation Centre.
