Source: Acadia Athletics

WOLFVILLE, N.S. – The defending AUS champion Dalhousie Tigers swept the host Acadia Axewomen 3-0 in the AUS regular season opener at Acadia. 

Tigers Subway Player of the Game, Julie Moore, posted a game-high 13 kills and a 0.286 hitting percentage to lead Dalhousie to a three set win. 

Tied at nine in the opening set, the Tigers pushed to a 17-13 lead on kills by Victoria Haworth, Moore and Mieke DuMont. The Axewomen were unable to close the 20-15 game and eventually lost 25-19. 

Acadia came out slow in the second set, falling behind early by a 10-5 deficit. Opening the set with three kills in a row, Moore helped push the Tigers to a 18-10 lead and eventual 25-12 second game victory. 

In a back-and-forth battle in the eventual third and final set, the Axewomen kept the game close, allowing the Tigers to only pull away by no more than at two points in the opening minutes. 

Tied at 14 on a Hannah Helm kill, the eventual back-breaker was a service ace by Moore that gave the Tigers a 18-16 lead. 

The Tigers aggressively pushed the lead on Acadia's ball handling and attack errors. A block by DuMont in the end, gave Dalhousie a 25-19 set win and 3-0 match victory. 

DuMont posted seven kills and seven digs. Defensively, Moore and Catherine Callaghan had 11 digs each and Moore led with three service aces. 

Sarah Ross and Lauryn Renzella each added eight kills for the Axewomen, while Renzella added 10 digs. Willow Gedlaman, from her setter position, had 20 assists, while her counter-part Courtney Baker had 32 for the Tigers. 

"Each day we learn how we can be better, whether it is technical, tactical or system based. We didn't play our best volleyball today and in a team sport we must rely on a contribution from everyone, in order to be successful. We will look to compete consistently tomorrow," commented Acadia head coach Michelle Wood following the match.