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www.oakvillebeaver.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Thursday, November 19, 2009 · 18 THINK AGAIN: St. Thomas Aquinas player Charlie Drouin (right) blocks the tip attempt of Milton District's Matt Campbell during the Halton high school senior boys' volleyball Division 2 final at Sheridan College. GRAHAM PAINE / OAKVILLE BEAVER Raiders win 100th set of season The St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders hope 100 set victories this season will earn them some respect from conveners of the upcoming provincial high school boys' volleyball AA tournament. Aquinas reached the century mark in set wins Tuesday at Sheridan College, defeating the Milton District Mustangs 25-16, 25-16 to claim the Halton senior Division 2 championship. The Raiders finished the league season with a 13-0 record, losing only one set --against the White Oaks Wildcats in the playoff semifinals -- along the way. Their overall record in sets this year is 100-17. "It's rare to get a team to win 100 games," said Aquinas coach Ron Szpakowski. "We played a lot outside Halton to see what teams were like. We won three tournaments and were right there in other ones." Szpakowski feels the Raiders, headed to the OFSAA tournament for the second straight year, will likely be seeded in the top eight at provincials. He's optimistic they might be one of the top four seeds. "We'll let our record speak for itself," he said. Aquinas big hitter Matt Blaha believes this year's Raiders team is stronger than last year's squad that won the first Halton boys' volleyball championship in school history before going 14 at OFSAA. "Last year, we were more talented," said the Grade 13 student. "This year, we all know how to play together. We've played a lot of games." Part of the familiarity between Aquinas players is due to the fact most of them were on the Raiders' OFSAA gold-winning basketball team last season. Dan Thompson, Will Coulthard, Charlie Drouin and Blaha -- all members of the volleyball team -- will likely also start for the basketball team this year. "We know each other's tendencies, we're used to each other, and we actually like each other," Blaha said. The passing ability of Grade 13 setter Tyler Vadacchino is also a big key for the Raiders, Blaha said. Tuesday's coronation in the Halton final seemed more of a formality than anything else. The Raiders scored nine of the game's first 11 points and were never threatened in the first set. Milton (8-4) was more competitive in the second game, but Aquinas eventually pulled away. The OFSAA tournament is scheduled for Nov. 27-28 in Sarnia. Eden of St. Catharines has won the past three provincial AA titles. -- Jon Kuiperij Hawks repeat as junior D1 champs By Herb Garbutt OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF -845- The Loyola Hawks' biggest asset may also create their biggest challenge in winning a third straight Halton junior boys' volleyball title. "They're all good athletes," said coach Claude Malette. "They could pick up a basketball or a volleyball and do well." It's that ability that could see the Hawks lose their lone returning starter from this year's team, which defended last year's Halton championship with a 25-20, 16-25, 15-11 victory over the Oakville Trafalgar Red Devils Tuesday at Sheridan College. Jake Babic has expressed an interest in playing football next year but his coaches would love to see him back on the volleyball court anchoring Loyola's run at a three-peat. The Grade 9 student picked apart OT's defence Tuesday, using positioning rather than sheer power to find the open spots on the floor. "He's pretty smart," Malette said of Babic, who was named MVP in Loyola's tournament victory earlier this year at Christ the King. "He doesn't just (swing) wildly. He's always looking for an opening. Even when we have a huddle during a time out, he's always mentioning things he's noticed on the court." Loyola revamped its lineup this year and hardly missed a beat, sending out three Grade 10 starters who saw little court time last year as well as Babic. Power Brett Ulbikias and setter Michael Hucko both took on bigger roles this season. It did take some time to get rolling. The Hawks started the season 2-2 before winning nine straight to finish second to the Devils with an 11-2 mark. Even the midseason loss of starter Peter Cudney, who broke his collarbone playing hockey, couldn't slow down the Hawks. Jason See Loyola page 20