Tigers defeat Huskies 3-1

HALIFAX, NS - Dalhousie outside hitter Talia Vydykhan led the Tigers (3-3) with 15 kills and 11 digs in a come-from-behind three sets-to-one (14-25, 25-22, 26-24, 25-21) victory over the U SPORTS #10 ranked Saint Mary's Huskies (5-1) at the Homburg Centre on Sunday afternoon. 

Early in the first set, authoritative kills by Huskies left sides Olivia Bell (LaHave Islands, NS) and Emilia Mikanovich (Minsk, Belarus) put pressure on the Tigers, and Mikanovich on serve, who even laid out for a right-forearm dig to preserve her service opportunities.  

But a kill off the block by Tigers outside hitter Amelia Hartnett (Fredericton, NB) got the ball out of Mikanovich's hands, trailing 7-4. Huskies middle blocker Alena Piatukhova (Minsk, Belarus) aced to give the Huskies a 10-4 advantage, but three straight Tiger kills set by setter Kirsty Longino (Calgary, AB) narrowed the Huskies margin to 10-7. The combination of Huskies Olivia Bell and setter Taylor Lougheed (Calgary, AB) was dominant early in the game, combining for a kill to go up 19-12. The Huskies used this opportunity to sub in service specialist middle Paige Deering (Calgary, AB) entered the game to serve and forced a Tigers dump for another Lougheed-to-Bell connection, and a set error by Longino. A positive set from Tigers setter Zoe Lis (Ottawa, ON) for a pipe kill from middle Grace Calnan (Dartmouth, NS) slowed the Huskies charge, but the Tigers soon found themselves on the wrong end of multiple set points. Bruhm sent a hard float serve, setting where Tigers outside hitter Paris Stewart (Halifax, NS) had three opportunities for a left-side kill, but each were denied by the Huskies, with the final block by Lougheed and middle blocker Madison Hann (Conquerall Mills, NS) to close out the frame with a score of 25-14. 

A frantic rally opened the second set, with both sides struggling to find clean initial attacks. Incredible digs by Bruhm and Bell could not be converted, and a huge kill by middle blocker Kasandra Trenke (Calgary, AB) won the Tigers an influential opening point that set the tone for the rest of the game. However, Bell's impact extended beyond acrobatic digs and kills. At 7-5 and 8-6, Bell's bumps from the bleachers kept rallies alive. A huge block from Harnett evened the score at 11, and the Tigers extended their lead at 13-11 with another block by Calnan and Hartnett that echoed throughout the Homburg Centre. A Calnan ace put the Tigers ahead 18-15, forcing a Huskies timeout. Nonetheless the float serve from Calnan could not be dug and set cleanly, giving the Tigers their biggest lead of the set, which they extended with a kill from Hartnett. Bell swung back the momentum with a kill to put her on serve, and the Huskies converted in transition to bring the game back within three. Middle Anna Liniewski (Burnaby, BC) had smashed a spike off the blocks for her first kill of the afternoon, and Mikanovich sent a sitter from Trenke to the hardwood, bringing the Huskies back within two points. However, a kill by Tigers outside hitter Talia Vydykhan (Hammonds Plains, NS) offered the Tigers multiple set points at 24-20. While a spike off the blocks from Mikanovich pressured the Tigers into a timeout at 24-22, Lis set up Hartnett, who delivered a pinpoint crosscourt spike, winning the set 25-22, turning the match into a best-of-three. 

Pressure from Longino serves, and assists from Tigers libero Alessandra Nadalini (Bedford, NS) bought the Tigers a 4-0 advantage to start the third, and a tip from Stewart into the middle of the frontcourt gave them their largest lead of the set at 7-1. The Huskies rallied with Mikanovich on serve, but a solo block by Trenke against Piatukhova in the middle halted the Huskies advance at 8-4. A service error by Stewart gave Bell and the Huskies an opportunity at 11-8, but Nadalini assisted a kill by Vydkhan, and a hard, sinking float serve from Calnan forced an error and a Huskies timeout, trailing 15-8. A pinpoint positive set by Lougheed to Piatukhova for a kill stole service away from Longino. Huskies subbed in high-flying left side Sydney Fader (Dartmouth, NS) who redirected the Tigers attack, and the Huskies erased their deficit with Lougheed on serve, before another Lis-to-Vydykhan kill stabilized the Tigers at 17-15. But a service error by Vydykhan, and an ace by Fader, kept the Huskies within striking distance, and a block by Bell evened the score at 18 apiece. Despite a shoestring dig by Deering on the subsequent rally, the Huskies quickly found themselves behind 22-19. On serve at 23-20, Calnan forced a dump from the Huskies, but a huge block from the Lougheed and Liniewski duo provided the Huskies another opportunity. Unfortunately, a service error by Hann gave the Tigers another handful of set points at 24-21. However, Lougheed services kept the Huskies hanging on, evening the score at 24. However, huge back-to-back, right-to-left kills from Hartnett dashed the Huskies hopes, and the Tigers escaped the third set 26-24. 

A let serve ace by Vydykhan gave the Tigers an early 2-0 advantage in the fourth set, punctuated at 4-1 with a Longino-to-Hartnett laser from the right block to the center. Huskies were reprieved by a Hartnett service error, but Calnan recalibrated with kills and blocks to extend the Tigers lead to 9-3. Then, Stewart painted the line with an ace that was misjudged by the Huskies, who called timeout. Nonetheless, Stewart's services and Huskies attack errors continued, until a frustration kill from Bell nearly burst the ball, halting the Tigers run at 14-4. Undeterred by the double-digit deficit, the Huskies found Fader for her first kill off the bench at 18-7. A pipe from Bell off the block sent the ball behind the bleachers, putting Fader on serve who converted her second ace. Bruhm's lefty spikes on the right side continued to pose problems for the Tigers, and the Huskies bit into the Tigers lead with her on serve at 22-15. But a bad set forced Fader to dump the ball, and Longino set up Calnan for a kill that put the Tigers two points from victory. Undeterred, Fader caught fire, with a block and then a smash that erased an incredible topspin dig from Tigers libero Renee Cleveland (Clare, NS). The Tigers chose to call timeout at 23-21, which was rewarded by a Bell service error. On match point, Fader couldn't find a gap between the blocks of Trenke and Hartnett, whose block won set and match for the Tigers, 25-21. 

Talia Vydykhan was named Player of the Game for Dalhousie, leading the way with 15 kills, 11 digs and three blocks. Kirsty Longino provided 28 assists and nine digs, and Calnan and Hartnett combined for 19 kills and seven blocks. 

Olivia Bell led the way for the Huskies with 14 kills and 15 digs, while Megan Bruhm contributed 10 kills and seven digs, and Taylor Lougheed dished out a match-high 32 assists. 
 
The Huskies have an opportunity to bounce back on their home court this Friday, November 17th at 7:00 PM AST when they host the Moncton Aigles Bleues. 
 
The Tigers will seek a winning record when they visit Memorial Sea-Hawks, also on Friday, November 17th at 6:30 PM AST.