Tigers avoid elimination in win over Huskies

In a must-win game, the Dalhousie Tigers defeated the SMU Huskies 3-1 (25-19, 25-22, 25-23, 29-27) Saturday afternoon at Dalplex.

The Huskies defeated the Tigers 3-0 Thursday night at the Homburg Centre to take a 1-0 series lead in the AUS semi-final.

Emilia Mikanovich (Minsk, BEL) got the first kill of the game for a 1-0 lead for SMU.

After a 2-0 start for SMU, Paris Stewart (Halifax, NS) got Dal on the board off a spike. She then had a block to tie the game 2-2.

The Tigers led 10-8 at the start of the set as Talia Vydykhan (Hammonds Plains, NS) led both teams in kills with three up to this point.

SMU regained the lead, going up 15-12 after a significant rally with a kill from Mikanovich. 

Vydykhan tied the set 17-17 with an intelligent kill, placing it perfectly into SMU's end. 

With the score tied at 18-18, Ella Hornby (Calgary, AB) rose for a block, blocking it easily for Dal's 19th point of the set.

SMU took a 22-19 lead with a service ace from the league MVP, Olivia Bell (Lahave, NS).

After a long rally, SMU closed out the set with a kill from Mikanovich, winning 25-19. Mikanovich led both teams in kills in the first set with six.

The Huskies continued to roll in the second set, leading 5-2 out of the gates. 

Dal clawed back, tying the set 6-6 after an error from the Huskies.

Vydykhan started the set with three kills, her third tying the set 8-8. Her spike was too hot to handle for SMU.

The Huskies led 15-13 later in the set off a service error from the Tigers.

Vydykhan and Hornby brought Dal within one point with back-to-back kills.

Dal continued to stay in the set, tying it 20-20 from a SMU attack error.

Vydykhan scored a kill to give Dal a 23-22 lead, going off the fingertips of the SMU player. Hornby then got a block to win the set 25-22, tying the match 1-1.

The Tigers started the third set with a 6-4 lead off the kill from Hannah Ropret (Toronto, ON).

Bell scored a powerful kill after a timeout to cut Dal's lead to 11-9.

Dal led the set at the midway point 15-13 off a block from Calnan. SMU then scored three straight kills to gain a 16-15 lead. 

Vydykhan scored her 15th kill of the game off a spike to cut the lead to 19-18. Vydykhan's 15 kills led both teams up to this point.

Dal took a 20-19 lead with a kill from Melissa Hatfield (Beaverlodge, AB). SMU called a timeout. 

Off a service ace from Stewart, Dal took a 2-1 lead in the match, winning the third set 25-23.

The Tigers continued the momentum, leading the beginning of the fourth set 5-1.

SMU caught up with the Tigers, but Dal maintained a 10-7 lead. 

After two errors from SMU, Dal took a 13-7 lead. 

Dal led 15-11 halfway through the set with a kill from Ropret.

However, SMU retook the lead, causing Dal to take a timeout, with SMU leading 20-19.

Stewart got the kill to tie the game back up 22-22.

After going back and forth, the Tigers finished the set with a kill from Stewart, winning the set 29-27 and the match 3-1.

SMU's player of the game was Mikanovic, who had a game-high 19 kills.

Dal's player of the game was Vydykhan, who led Dal with 17 kills.

The two will play a winner-takes-all game on Monday at the Homburg Centre at 7pm.