Game recap by: Kirk Jessome
(Halifax, NS) – In the first of four regular season matchups against each other, the Dalhousie Tigers took on the UNB Varsity Reds at the Dalplex. It was a game of runs throughout the match as both teams strung together points well, but the Tigers came away with a 3-0 victory.
The match started back and forth for the first few points, however with the score at 7-5 for the Tigers, they made a massive run, picking up the next 12 points in a row. The run was due in large part to the serving of Mieke DuMont (Kamloops, BC) who put five aces together in a row.
The Varsity Reds were able to pick up a few points off of errors committed by the Tigers, as well as kills from Kristen Burns (Mississauga, ON), but the Tigers took the first set quickly, 25-10.
UNB looked like a completely different team starting the second set. They were strong offensively, with Burns continuing to pick up kills, as well as contributing with her serve.
The set was full of runs, as neither team picked up just a single point, it was multiple in a row. DuMont continued to lead the way for the Tigers in the second set, with Julie Moore (Halifax, NS) also picking up important kills.
The set went into the technical timeout with the Tigers with the slight edge at 16-15, but coming out of the break, the Tigers looked much like they did in the first.
Megan Kuciak (Ottawa, ON) and Julia Diemert (Egbert, ON) gave UNB the first few points out of the break to tie it up, but the Tigers won eight of the next nine points in the set.
The Tigers spread their offense around with Emma Ciprick (Binscarth, MB) and Victoria Haworth (Waverley, NS) getting their hitting game going. The late run, capped off with a kill from Julie Moore, gave the Tigers the second set with a score of 25-18.
The Varsity Reds once again came out hard in the beginning of the set, jumping out to a 6-3 lead with kills from Kuciak and Kelsey Bond (Bridgewater, NS), and forcing the Tigers to call a timeout.
UNB continued to hold a slight edge till kills from Julie Moore, and hitting errors from UNB, propelled the Tigers to their first lead in the set, going into the technical break up 16-14.
Once again the Tigers were very strong coming out of the break, jumping way ahead in the set, 23-15. Courtney Baker (Bridgewater, NS) picked up two aces in the run, as well as setting up Ciprick for the match winning kill.
Kuciak tried to keep the Varsity-Reds in the match, delivering the team's final two kills, but it wasn't enough as the Tigers took the final set 25-17.
Kristen Burns led UNB offensively, tied with Julie Moore of the Tigers for the game-high in kills at eight apiece.
Emma Ciprick claimed the Subway Player of the Game honours with seven kills and seven digs on the defensive end.
The Tigers will host Acadia tomorrow at the Dalplex, while UNB will stay in Halifax to take on Saint Mary's.