Tigers fall in marathon match versus Acadia
Talia Vydykhan closed out the regular season with a game-high 26 kills in the loss on Saturday.
Written by Ethan Hunt
(Halifax, NS) - The Acadia Axewomen defeated the Dalhousie Tigers 3-2 (33-31, 25-15, 25-23), on Saturday night at the Dalplex in Halifax.
The first set started out close and set the theme for the game.
The Axewomen went on a small run and held a five point lead exemplified when Becky Dorsey (Toronto, ON) dove for a one hand dig, but Dalhousie came right back, and Grace Calan (Cole Harbour, NS) floated in a kill to even the game at 16.
Wesly-Ann Bailey (Ottawa, ON) rose up to block Paris Stewart's (Halifax, NS) attempted kill and made it a 22-19 lead. Stewart and the Tigers came right back again, and Ella Hornby (Calgary, AB) put down a kill to even the game at 23.
The teams needed extra points to settle the dispute and after the score exceeded the 30-point mark, Eve Collombin (Victoria, BC) found the backline to end the first set 33-31.
The second set was anther close one, but Alexia Lemay-Evans (Alzilda, ON) recorded a kill to gain a 14-9 advantage for the Axewomen, the largest lead of the set so far.
Collombin smacked down a kill and Jenna Lake (Conception Bay South, NL) followed by forcing the ball to hit the DAL floor, both in the last five points as Acadia took the second set 25-15.
Sophie Edgar (Wolfville, NS) entered the game and out of the gate recorded a kill to narrow the DAL lead to 14-11 in the third set. Bailey followed Edgar's lead with an emphatic kill to add to the comeback.
After the Axewomen evened the score at 16, Talia Vydykan (Hammonds Plains, NS) cocked back her arm and let a spike rip to return the lead back in their favour.
Calnan's dig wasn't enough as Allison Van Zeumeren (Brampton, ON) knocked the ball past the defenders, but Vydykan wouldn't go away as she slammed her 17 kill of the night.
Vydykan struck again with a kill to even the score at 23, and Hornby backed her up with a kill to end the set on a 25-23 victory.
The fourth set started out as tight as every one that came before, as Lemay-Evans recorded a kill and just touched the backline which led to a 7-7 score.
The Tigers gained the lead and held onto it for the rest of the set, but Acadia made it very interesting.
A lengthy rally was finished by Bailey when she tipped the ball to an unguarded area to bring DAL's lead down to 20-14.
After Acadia brought the score back from 24-16 to a four point lead, Dalhousie called a timeout and Stewart ended the set with a left side kill.
Stewart's spike knocked off Bailey's fingers to give the Tigers an early 5-3 lead, but Lake knocked the ball off the DAL block to get back in the set.
After the Axewomen tied the game Dorsey made a remarkable one handed dig which led to Lake adding another kill.
Collombin and Fisher combined for a block to bring Acadia within three points of that coveted 15 point mark, but Stewart came right back with three straight screaming kills, each from the left side.
Stewart added another kill to gain the lead but Collombin and an attacking error brought Acadia one point away from the win.
Fisher flew in the air for a massive spike to end the set 15-13 and the earn Acadia the win. She would end the game will 11 kills and player of the gam honours.
The win locks in the first seed for Acadia in the AUS playoffs and books them a semifinal match up with UNB next week. Dalhousie finishes the regular season in third and will face the Saint Mary's Huskies.