By Reegan MacAulay
Three Holland Hurricanes teams were in action on their home court this past weekend, including both basketball clubs and the men’s volleyball squad.
Here’s what happened in Atlantic Collegiate Athletic Association (ACAA) competition on Saturday, Jan. 17, and Sunday, Jan. 18, at the McMillan Centre for Community Engagement in Charlottetown, P.E.I.
Men’s Volleyball
The men’s volleyball Hurricanes split their first two games of the regular season’s second half, winning 3-2 and falling 3-1 against the University of New Brunswick Saint John (UNBSJ) Seawolves on Saturday and Sunday.
Entering the weekend, Holland sat third in the conference, and UNBSJ was two points behind in a tie for fourth. The Hurricanes aimed to extend their winning streak into the new year, while the Seawolves were on the opposite end of the spectrum with a losing skid.
In a tight match to begin the weekend series on Saturday, the two teams exchanged set victories, forcing a fifth, where Holland ultimately triumphed 15-8. Notably, the Hurricanes didn’t give up any more than 16 points in their set victories, but when the Seawolves emerged victorious, their two set rallies went past 25 points.
On Sunday, UNBSJ bounced back, not only from the previous day’s game, but also from the first set in the second match, by winning three straight sets en route to a 3-1 victory. Holland took the first set 25-20 before the Seawolves went on a three-set surge – 25-19, 25-19, and 25-23.
Notable combined weekend stats:
Zachary Warren - 18 kills, one ace, four assists, 15 digs, one block
Carson Gray - 23 kills, two assists, three aces, 17 digs, three blocks
Liam Galway - 68 assists, three kills, two aces, seven digs, three blocks
Kieran Hamlin - 12 kills, five aces, six digs, seven blocks
On Sunday, sophomore Manuel Molina Lovett recorded 14 kills, one assist, one ace, and seven digs in a standout performance.
Following the weekend, Holland is tied for third with Crandall, each with a 6-6 record and 12 points, and UNBSJ is two points behind them in fifth with a 5-7 record and 10 points.
The Hurricanes will look to get back in the win column when they visit the league-leading STU Tommies next weekend – Jan. 24-25 – in Fredericton, N.B.
Connect with the men’s volleyball Hurricanes at www.instagram.com/canesmvball.
Women’s Basketball
The women’s basketball Hurricanes have remained unstoppable since late-November 2025, now riding a five-game winning streak after a doubleheader sweep over the University of King’s College (UKC) Blue Devils on Saturday and Sunday.
Holland couldn’t have asked for a better return to their home court, beginning their home portion of the second half with 82-67 and 83-69 victories.
Heading into the weekend, the Hurricanes were two points behind a two-way tie for the conference lead, while the Blue Devils were still searching for their first victory of the season, lying 12 points back of Holland.
On Saturday, after a back-and-forth start, UKC went on a late run in the first quarter to lead 25-15 after 10 minutes. The Hurricanes quickly responded over the next two quarters, outscoring the Blue Devils 49-22 and carrying a 64-47 game lead. Although UKC regained some momentum in the fourth and final quarter, the mid-game explosion by Holland was enough of a dagger against the Blue Devils.
Sunday had just as, if not an even more dramatic, roller coaster of a match. Holland led 20-16 after one quarter, which UKC responded to by outscoring the Hurricanes 34-15 in the second quarter, cutting the overall deficit to 15 at halftime (50-35). What followed was utter domination by Holland in the second half, outproducing the Blue Devils 48-19 en route to their game win.
Nykeva Brown led the Hurricanes with 49 total points in the two-game set while also going 19-for-26 from the field-goal line, 5-for-9 in three-pointers, and 6-for-10 in free throws. Karissa George followed her with 28 points and was nearly perfect in free throws, going 12-for-13. She was perfect, however, on Sunday alone, with a 9-for-9 record.
Several other players made key contributions while playing fewer minutes. Robyne Driscoll averaged 8.5 minutes on the court over the weekend, but recorded a 5-for-9 field-goal record and a 4-for-8 three-point mark. Ava Dormer and Sophie LeClair totalled 14 combined rebounds during Saturday’s match while each playing just 15 and 14 minutes, respectively.
As a new week begins, Holland is now tied for second in the standings with MSVU, each with an 8-2 record and 16 points, two behind STU for the conference lead. UKC remains winless in seventh at 0-9.
The Hurricanes continue their push towards the top next weekend with a doubleheader against the fourth-ranked Mount Allison Mounties, starting in Sackville, N.B., on Saturday, Jan. 24, and ending in Charlottetown, P.E.I., on Sunday, Jan. 25.
Connect with the women’s basketball ‘Canes at www.instagram.com/hurricanesbball.
Men’s Basketball
The men’s basketball Hurricanes fell short to the UKC Blue Devils across a pair of tightly-contested games, 61-60 and 71-67, on Saturday and Sunday.
Leading up to the weekend series, Holland was coming off a 74-60 victory against Crandall to start 2026, while UKC was desperate to pick up a win and have a sliver of hope for playoff contention. In the end, the latter prevailed, but it took significant clutching in the dying seconds of both games for the Blue Devils to conquer the Hurricanes.
On Saturday, the score was 35-34 in favour of UKC at halftime. The Blue Devils squeaked ahead 45-39 after the third quarter. In the fourth and final quarter, UKC pulled away early by as far as 10, but the Hurricanes didn’t give up, closing the gap to three with 4:45 remaining. The Blue Devils charged back ahead by nine with 2:08 left.
That then turned into Holland being down by one, 61-60, with six seconds remaining. After UKC called a full timeout, the Hurricanes were unable to generate an opportunity to steal the match.
Sunday was nearly identical, with both teams staying close by halftime – 34-32 UKC. Even when they gained momentum late in the third quarter, Holland reeled them back in the fourth and final quarter. They finally caught up and led 67-66 with 1:41 remaining, but not long after, a Blue Devils three-point jump shot with 1:27 left was ultimately the final dagger, allowing UKC to cruise to the game victory.
Zachary Dawkins led the Hurricanes with 36 total points across the doubleheader, while also putting together a 14-for-38 field-goal record, a 7-for-15 three-point mark, and 13 rebounds. Quinton Martin had a strong showing on Saturday with 13 points and a perfect 5-for-5 free-throw performance. Spencer Rossiter stepped up his game on Sunday, scoring 15 points, six field goals on 14 attempts, and three rebounds.
The updated standings see Holland, 3-7, tied for fourth with Crandall, six points each, but the latter has two games in hand. UKC’s two victories put them into a tie for sixth with Mount Allison, each with 2-7 records and four points, two behind Holland and Crandall.
The men’s Hurricanes will join the women with a two-day away-and-home series against Mount Allison next weekend, Jan. 24-25, in Sackville, N.B., and Charlottetown, P.E.I.
Connect with the men’s basketball Hurricanes at www.instagram.co/hurricanesbball.
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