Basketball: The Battle Lives On  

With the Battle of Waterloo trophy in the building, the Warriors entered Saturday's women's and men's basketball duel with the Laurier Golden Hawks, looking to retain the honours as Waterloo's best in 2026. Leading the series 9 events to 8, with four events remaining, a double dip on the court would do it for the Black and Gold. 

The women's squad took to the court having won nine of the last 10 games against their crosstown rivals and looked to apply dominance once again. In the first quarter, the Warriors were off to the start they wanted. A team- high five points from Yemi Oladipo (St. Catharines, Ont./), included a huge three-pointer just over two minutes in to jumpstart the Warriors to a 13-3 run. Even with Laurier's late surge, Waterloo found themselves up 18-14 after 10 minutes. Three rebounds apiece for Jaime Newell (Brussels, Ont./) and Carina Fiore (Newmarket, Ont./) established the Warriors were well-equipped for victory beneath the basket. The second quarter is where the Purple and Gold started to take over. Although remaining dominant on the rebound front, the Warriors turned the ball over seven times. Laurier led 40-34 at the half.  

Entering the third quarter with their backs against the wall, and Newell taking an unfortunate exit from the game due to injury, the Warriors had big shoes to fill. Without Newell's rebounding and defensive mastery, head coach Jessica Roque rotated through her bench to strong results. Olivia Tomlin (Kitchener, Ont./) and Simran Lail (Brampton, Ont./) each had a quarter-high five points off the bench. Their offensive flair gave the home side the advantage heading into the fourth, with a 51-50 lead. In the final 10 minutes, the Warriors big-game players  lit up Carl Totzke Court and electrified the crowd even further. The front three of Ghiselle Poblete (Brampton, Ont./), Oladipo, and Kymora Stafford (Toronto, Ont./) executed what was a near-perfect effort to counter the Golden Hawks' late first-half surge. Poblete leading the way with five points in the quarter, and 15 on the afternoon, including a make from beyond the arc just 12 seconds into the quarter, gave the home side the momentum they craved. That same momentum is what also earned her Warrior Athlete of the Week honours.  Stafford picking up three rebounds, and Oladipo remaining clutch with two critical steals was enough to clip the wings of their rivals down the road. The Warriors were victors, 68-64.  

The Men's showcase just moments later delivered electricity, emotion, and uncertainty. Having hit the shot to sink the Western Mustangs seven days prior, Stefan Prica (Etobicoke, Ont.) picked up right where he left off, nailing a three-pointer 21 seconds in to ignite the home crowd. Isaiah McRae continued to do what only he can, and take over a game at any moment. His quarter-high nine points included shooting a perfect two for two from three-point range. A high-tempo first quarter ended with only two points separating the two squads, a 26-24 Laurier advantage. With McRae's time on the court in the second quarter limited due to an injury of his own, Prica's tenacity stood out to the home fans. Finishing the first half with 15 points, his two rebounds, one at both ends of the court, filled a critical role with a teammate down.  

With the fourth underway, and McRae back on the court, him and Cristian Craciun (Hamilton, Ont./) both activated. With both scoring four points, and shooting a perfect two for two from the free throw line, they gave the Warriors the opportunity to stay in it. The Golden Hawks unfortunately took over the game, and led 71-59 after three. What the Warriors never do, is quit. Despite being sidelined for a quarter, McRae stepped into his favourite part of the game, the fourth quarter, with all eyes on his team. Leading the squad with nine points, and shooting a near perfect four out of five from the field, the Warriors outscored Laurier 22-17 in the quarter. Despite the fightback, and a game-high 23 points from Prica, it was not enough to clinch the Battle of Waterloo on this day. Laurier took it 88-81. 

With the Warriors now leading the Battle 10-9, the next stop on the inter-city calendar, is a trip to Laurier for a Women's Hockey showdown for the ages. This Saturday, January 31, at 7:00 PM,  the women who have taken victory in 10 of their last 11 games, will continue the Warriors' surge toward the title.  

Next up for Women's and Men's Basketball is a trip out west to Windsor and London. The Warriors will take on the Lancers Friday night at 6:00 and 8:00 PM, and the Mustangs on Saturday night at 6:00 and 8:00 PM. 

Track and Field: Strength in Numbers 

Track and Field's season has gotten off to a soaring start. After two brilliant showings at York, Windsor, and Western, the team travelled to La Belle Province, for a showdown in Montreal at the McGill Team Challenge.  

The fact that Warriors produce results as a group, showed no exception here. A strong showing for Waterloo's relay squads; the grouping of Brielle Fernandez (Hong Kong, HK/), Julia Hughes (Toronto, ON/), Emmanuela Odukoya (Toronto, ON/), and Eva Duchene finished fifth in the Women's 4 X 200M. The same quartet went one better in the 4 X 400M, finishing fourth, and besting Carleton's squad who had just placed ahead of them in the 4 X 200M. 

The Men's relay group of Iyinoluwa Gbenjo (Kitchener, ON/), Riley Jacobs-Gamble (Owen Sound, ON/), Owen Goodwin (Bonshaw, PEI/), and Ben Lemon (Waterloo, ON/) took third place in the 4 X 400M, solidifying Waterloo's strength…in numbers. 

Individually, Waterloo did not waiver either. A phenomenal third place in the Men's triple jump from Kevin Salaudeen (Belleville, ON/), shows that the first-year has a long and illustrious run of events ahead of him. 

Out of 65 entries in the Men's 600M, Lemon took ninth place, showing off his ever-consistent form. The same placement for Fernandez in the Women's 300m out of 61 starters, was exceptional. 

Yet another event, where your Warriors on the track are on the up. They will take to action once again this weekend at the York Open. 

Volleyball: Bold…Meet Black and Gold 

A trip to the Six for Women's and Men's Volleyball, and a double on Friday and Saturday was on the cards for the Warriors, as they met the TMU Bold.  

Friday night, and the Warriors were rolling. A back-and-forth match which saw the first two sets decided by at least six points each, was knotted at one, and both teams would play at least four. A game-high 14 kills from Sydney Batiuk (Prince Albert, Sask./Ecole St. Mary) and Stella McKenna (Calgary, Alta./Western Canada High School) led the way offensively. Batiuk, the team leader in the category is now averaging around 10 kills per game this season, with McKenna averaging just over eight. The Warriors' Berkley MacLean, who has had a first year of OUA competition to remember delivered a "bold" performance, with three service aces and eight digs. Madison Seo (Ancaster, Ont./Westmount Secondary School) delivered a season-high 41 assists, an assist total she has reached now four times this season, inching ever so close to her career-high of 46 in a single game. Even with the Bold knotting the score after two, the Warriors only got better as the match progressed, snagging the final two sets by at least four points. A Friday night win under the lights in Toronto was the perfect opener to the weekend; 3-1 for the visitors. 

The next afternoon for the Women's team did not go as planned. Despite a team- high 11 kills from Avery Isaacs (Calgary, Alta./Bishop Carroll High School), who is now averaging around eight a game, and two service aces from McKenna, Waterloo could not break through in any of the three sets played. A 3-0 win for the Bold would split the weekend. 

Friday night on the Men's side was as explosive as ever, and even in a 3-2 defeat, the Warriors gave the Bold a run for their money. A mind-blowing seven service aces from Daniel Nikashov (Vaughan, Ont./Hodan Nalayeh Secondary School) earned him a career-high, and with the net-front tandem of Lucas Redmann's (Winnipeg, Man./Dakota Collegiate) 22 kills and Cohen Peters (Vancouver, B.C./Pacific Acadamy)'s 41 assists and four blocks, Waterloo came to play. The Bold's counter to Redmann and Peters however was successful, and their net-front attack delivered on their side as well.  

Going the distance, Waterloo did not lack any bit of confidence in picking up where they left off the next evening. Nikashov was once again on the money, with a game-high nine kills, ramping his total to 130 on the year with six games to play; having achieved 96 through all of last season. AJ Nichols (Aurora, Ont./St. Andrew's College) entered the blocking festivities on this night, with a game-high of three. Peters once again distributed the ball on the assist front like only he can, delivering 32. All that was needed was a strong defensive showing, and Will McIntyre (Waterloo, Ont./Laurel Heights Secondary School) came through as he always does, with a team-high six digs. McIntyre, who loves a game against an opponent from Toronto, amassed a season-high 15 digs back on November 15 against the Varsity Blues. 

A 3-0 victory for the Warriors sent the squad back home as happy as can be. Both of these squads will take to the Carl Totzke Court together, for one more weekend double. This Friday and Saturday, Women's and Men's Volleyball will take on Western. Saturday being Senior Night, Alumni Night, and Camps and Minor League Day. The Women's matches for Friday and Saturday will take place at 6:00 and 1:00 PM, and the Men's at 7:30 and 2:30 PM. 

Read full game recaps for men's hockey and women's hockey by Ben Robinson.