By: Mike Still
The women’s volleyball team heads to nationals after one of the best seasons in recent memory. They went 19-1 during regular season play and proceeded to sweep both of their opponents in the AUS playoffs en route to a fifth-straight banner. Their five-peat marks the most consecutive AUS titles since UNB won 10 in a row from 1960-70. Below is a preview of what they’ll be up against at nationals in Toronto, starting this Friday.
Quarterfinals: #4 Montreal (RSEQ champions) versus #5 Dalhousie (AUS champions)
The Tigers quarter-final opponent is the Montreal Carabins, a team they fell to in last year’s consolation final. The Carabins committed just 13 attack errors during the matchup and were in control for the majority of the contest.
These are two very accurate teams, with Montreal committing just 295 errors on the season – the second-least in the nation, and Dalhousie committing just 356 – good for 10th. Both squads also return much of their veteran corps from last season.
The Carabins are led by fourth-year opposite hitter Marie-Alex Bélanger and fifth-year middle blocker Sarah Gosselin. The duo finished with double-digit kills in last year’s matchup, and also had strong 2016-17 seasons.
Bélanger finished third in the nation in kills per set, with 4.31, while Gosselin added 59 blocks, good for seventh in the RSEQ. Fifth-year middle blocker Alexane L. Joly also adds leadership and impact to the lineup, finishing with 61 regular season blocks – just in front of Gosselin.
The Tigers will counter with one of the nation’s deepest squads.
Third-year Mieke DuMont and fourth-year Anna Dunn-Suen – both outside hitters – lead the attack, while second-year middle blocker Victoria Haworth is the catalyst on the defensive side. Second-year setter Courtney Baker is perhaps the squad’s most well-rounded player, while fifth-years Marisa Mota and Abby Czenze provide valuable leadership and impact play.
DuMont was second in the AUS with 184 total kills, while Dunn-Suen had 129 in 17 regular season matches. DuMont was named an AUS second-team all-star, while Dunn-Suen was this past year’s AUS championship tournament MVP. Both athletes will need to be on top of their game to defeat a strong Carabins block.
Sophomore’s Haworth and Baker could be the x-factors against Montreal. Haworth was fourth in the AUS with 61 blocks, while Baker led the squad in multiple categories, including total kills as well as service aces. Baker had six kills against the Carabins last year, and with another season of experience, she should be in for a strong performance.
Mota – the starting libero – was an AUS championship tournament all-star this past year, and was all over the court in 2016-17, finishing with 386 digs. Czenze did a tremendous job distributing the ball, including a number of misdirection passes. She was third in the AUS with 617 assists. Both players were also named AUS first-team all stars.
The action between Montreal and Dalhousie takes place this Friday, March 17 at 8 p.m. ET. All national championship games are available to watch at USPORTS.live.