Game recap by: Kirk Jessome
(Halifax, NS) – In the final preseason tune-up before the 2018-19 AUS volleyball season kicks off, the Dalhousie Tigers hosted the Acadia Axewomen. The Tigers were able to claim a straight-set victory with a strong offensive display.
The Axewomen had a strong presence at the net in the first set with Jamie Crocket (Stellarton, NS) causing at least a deflection on the majority of hits from the Tigers.
The teams traded points in a tight first set, with Julie Moore (Halifax, NS) and Mieke DuMont (Kamloops, BC) carrying the offensive load for the Tigers as they took a 16-14 lead into the technical break.
The Tigers were able to open up a little bit of a lead out of the break thanks to a few strings of errors from the Axewomen and jumped ahead to a 22-16 advantage.
The Axewomen put up a fight to get back in the set with some tough serving from Lucy Glen-Carter (Toronto, ON) to bring the team back to 23-19.
It wasn't enough however, as the Tigers were on the winning side of long back to back rallies to seal the first set for the Tigers with a 25-19 win.
The Tigers carried the confidence of that first set win into the second, picking up seven straight points to open the set with two more kills coming from Julie Moore in that stretch.
The Tigers continued their run of points all the way to the technical timeout with two service aces coming from Lauren Koskowich (Calgary, AB), and capped off by another kill from Moore as they went into the break up 16-2.
Lauryn Renzella (Stouffville, ON) and Glen-Carter split the offensive input for the Axewomen as they made a late run despite the set being so far out of reach, forcing the Tigers to call a timeout, up 23-9.
Hannah Helm helped continue the run out of the timeout for the Axewomen, picking up a couple of kills and a big block to deny Moore. Helm also picked up a service ace, but her error on the following point closed out the set 25-13 for the Tigers and gave them a 2-0 lead.
The Tigers had a quick start to the set in the third, getting out to a 5-1 lead thanks to help from Mieke DuMont on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball with a big block.
The Tigers maintained that lead as they went into the technical break leading 16-7 after back to back aces from Courtney Baker (Bridgewater, NS).
The Axewomen fought to get back in the set out of the break, with Glen-Carter picking up three straight points off of two kills and a block out of the timeout.
The Tigers countered that run with one of their own immediately after however, with kills from Baker, Moore and DuMont, and a service ace from Moore.
Renzella picked up a few final kills for the Axewomen, but the match ended the same way that it began with a big kill coming off the hand of Julie Moore for the Tigers to take a 3-0 win.
Both teams will open up their regular seasons this Saturday with the Tigers taking on Saint Mary's while Acadia will host Moncton.