After going undefeated in the regular season, the newly improved 2018 Titans’ volleyball team is entering the playoffs, hungrier than ever for the title. This may be one of the best performances, if not the best performance we have witnessed from a sports team at St Augustine.

Monday, November 5th, 2018: Round 1

The Titans took on Huron Heights SS in the first round of the Tier 2 YRAA volleyball playoffs. The Titans had home court advantage, creating and increasing team morale and player-fan interactions.


The boys are fired up after their first home playoff win!
Pictured left to right:
Anthony Awhai-Chang, Mario Tanuous, Treshan Pitigala, Taha Khanbai,
Coach Adam Elkaim, Erik Siksna, Ryan Chu, Ms. Chiaravalloti, Joshua Chang,
Benjamin Fearon, Brando Leroux, Chris Lau

The Titans started off hot, outscoring their opponents 25-14 in the first match, and 25-13 in the second match. “Playing at home felt great”, said grade 12 libero, Taha Khanbai. “We put on a good show for our home crowd and got the job done. We look forward to bringing that same intensity to our future games”. In the third match, things started to look like they were in the favour of Huron Heights, with them scoring three positions in a row to give them the 1 point lead (16-15). The Titans knew it was time to step it up, recovering from the deficit, and winning the third and final match with 25-20. Titans win 3-0, advancing to the second round.

Wednesday, November 7th, 2018: Round 2

After defeating Huron Heights in the first round, the Titans were able to advance to the second round of the YRAA playoffs, facing off against the Colts of Bill Crothers SS. The boys were fired up after their first win to say the least, going in with one message in their head: “We can, and we will”. The Colts were ready to play as well, coming off of a 9-3 record in the regular season, placing fourth in Tier 1. With a group of fans coming out to support the boys, including notable appearances such as SAC President Kiyan Jadavji, and religion teacher Ms. Ferrante, the Titans knew that this was their time to shine.

The Titans and the Colts were neck to neck in the first game, exchanging leads every few minutes, taking the game past the regular 25 point mark. Outstanding defense and explosive spikes from the Titans helped them to win the first match 32-30. The Colts were furious the next game, outscoring the Titans 14-6 in the first few minutes of the game. The Titans were able to make a comeback, but it was too late, as the Colts’ offensive force proved to be more powerful in the second game, giving them the 25-23 win, tying the match at 1-1.

After such a close loss, the Titans had no choice but to bounce back, stepping their game up both offensively and defensively. Outstanding defense from Mario Tanuous, Erik Siksna, and Ryan Chu gave the Titans the defensive edge and some extra points. The amount of dedication and determination to win was extremely prominent in the last two games, shown by players like Benjamin Fearon, who dove into the bench trying to save a loose ball. “Everyone did a good job communicating”, said team captain Erik Siksna. “We all knew what had to happen to get the win, in terms of passing the ball, getting blocks, and covering each other”. All of this helped to bring the Titans to a win, 25-21, putting them up 2-1.

The fourth and final game had come. The Colts were furious after losing to the Titans. This meant that the Titans were one game away from winning and advancing to the next round, and the Colts were one game away from losing everything. Game 3 had begun, Colts and Titans putting on a show, exchanging leads every few possessions. The fans were on their feet, clapping and chanting “LET’S GO TITANS”. Anthony Awai-Chang had this to say about the fans: “I think the fans definitely made a huge impact on our final game, they increased team morale by a ton and allowed us to do what we do best. We’re really thankful that they came out to support us”. In the final few minutes, the Colts were able to secure a brief 21-20 lead before the Titans would go off scoring their last 5 points to seal the deal. Serves made by Awai-Chang led to 2 successful defensive stops, including clutch blocks from Erik Siksna and Chris Lau, giving the Titans the win, 25-22.

I caught up with Coach Adam Elkaim after the match and here’s what he had to say regarding the team and their performance:

“Our team is pretty much flawless. The fact that we are the only team in the YRAA to finish 12-0 makes me extremely proud. The boys really stepped up today and proved that we are a Tier 1 team as well. Beating the fourth seed in Tier 1, if the boys keep it up and keep playing like we did today, Friday’s game [against Bur Oak] is going to be a blast, and I can’t wait.”

Stay tuned to the Titan Times for Part 2 of Road to OFSAA: An Underdog Tale!  #wethetitans

By: Andrew Yang
Photographer: Andrew Yang