The Tigers women’s volleyball team had a banner year last season. They finished the season 12-4, losing just 14 sets all season. They ended the regular season with an eight game winning streak and didn’t drop a single set on their way to their second consecutive AUS championship. After winning their first game of the CIS championship, upsetting the #4 Trinity Western Spartans, they finished in fourth place.
This will not be a year of continuity for the Tigers, who have lost a plethora of key veteran players from last year. Gone are the likes of Desiree Nouwen, Maggie Li, Tara Gowan, Marlee Powers, Raeesa Lalani, Petra Rafuse and Katherine Ryan. These players played vital roles in propelling the Tigers success in the past few seasons as the Tigers asserted themselves as a powerhouse in the AUS. Last year, Li and Nouwen were named AUS first team all-stars, while Gowan was named to the second team. Despite all the departures, 2012 AUS coach of the year Rick Scott doesn’t want the team to focus on what they’ve lost.
“Without question, we’ve lost some key players,” says Scott. “Our team is focused on the great group of players that we have on our team now. They have adapted very well, they’re working hard, and they’re getting better each week.”
The Tigers also have a strong core of returning players, including three starters in Abby Czenze, Marissa Mota and Jessica Josenhans. The trio of Anna Dunn-Suen, Julie Theisen and Amy Appleby are all in their second and third years of eligibility and will look to make bigger contributions this season with the black and gold.
“There were a number of players on our roster that didn’t have starting roles last year, but they were very good players,” explains Scott. “They would have had starting spots on many other teams. Some of these players are getting the opportunity to play more now and have a more important role for our team, and they’re making the most of it.”
Perhaps no player is taking advantage of this new opportunity more than Anna Dunn-Suen. She leads the team and is fourth in the AUS with 2.48 kills per set, more than double her 1.32 kills per set mark from last year. The second-year left side from Halifax has already made a name for herself after an impressive freshman season that earned her a spot on the AUS all-rookie team.
Prized recruit Mieke Dumont has also had flashes of brilliance in her first few games as a Tiger as she’s ranked 14th in the AUS with 1.61 kills per set. She’s tied for the team lead in sets played with 23 through seven games this season and has been an integral part of the Tigers attack.
Coach Scott is very impressed with Dumont’s transition to the university game, which can often be tough for young players.
“It’s a big adjustment in your first year of university volleyball. There will be some highs and lows and I want Mieke to keep working hard and improving,” he says. “I expect her to continue developing and playing an important role down the stretch.”
He is also quick to point out the other two newcomers on the Tigers squad, first-year left side Emma Ciprick and fifth-year transfer student Alexandra Hudson. He says that both have played very well so far and he expects both to play important roles on the team moving forward.
As with any team, having strong team chemistry will be extremely important this season.
“We have very good leadership and we have a number of quality, character people on our team,” says Scott. “Players like Jane Delahunt, Elizabeth Wright, Gabby Sakowicz and Anne Krywitsky will all have important roles that can and will make differences for our team. We have an excellent coaching staff which is as good as any team in the country that does a tremendous amount of work with the technical, physical and mental sides of the game.”
The Tigers definitely have their work cut out for them in the ultra-competitive AUS. They’ve started the season with a 2-5 record and they have two remaining games this weekend against Saint Mary’s and Cape Breton before the holiday break. The unbeaten Huskies will be a stern challenge for the Tigers, and they will most certainly look to exact revenge on a Tigers squad that defeated them in the AUS finals last year in straight sets. The Capers, meanwhile, are 0-6 on the year.
Both games this weekend will be at the Dalplex. They’ll take on the Huskies on Saturday at 6:00pm and they’ll face the Capers on Sunday at 1:00pm. Can’t make it to the games? You can watch them live online at www.AUStv.ca.