Stewart leads Tigers to win

The Dalhousie Tigers defeated Acadia 3-2 (20-25, 25-23, 23-25, 25-17, 15-9) in a five-set match on Sunday at Stu Aberdeen Court.

The first set of the game between Dalhousie and Acadia began with a back-and-forth exchange, highlighted by an attack error from Acadia's Alexia Lemay-Evans, giving Dalhousie the initial lead. Dalhousie then pulled ahead with a streak of three consecutive points, including two service aces by Talia Vydykhan, making the score 6-2. The Axewomen responded strongly, with Alexia Lemay-Evans contributing multiple kills, leveling the score at 8-8. Late in the set, the Axewomen capitalized on several attack errors by Dalhousie, including three from Paris Stewart, to secure a 25-20 victory.

In the second set, Dalhousie and the Axewomen traded points early, with the Axewomen taking a slight lead at 5-2 following a series of successful plays by Wesley-Ann Bailey, including a block and a kill. Dalhousie responded with a series of kills, including contributions from Paris Stewart and Melissa Hatfield, bringing the score closer to 8-7. The Axewomen then surged ahead with a run to 10-4, highlighted by an ace and a block, before Dalhousie mounted a comeback to tie the score at 20-20, with key kills from Talia Vydykhan and Paris Stewart. The set remained tightly contested until Dalhousie ultimately secured the win at 25-23, with Annik Boldon delivering the decisive point through a kill assisted by Kasandra Trenke.

The third set saw the Axewomen open with a strong start, scoring three consecutive points, including two kills from Alexia Lemay-Evans. Dalhousie responded with a series of attacks, including a kill by Paris Stewart at play 98 and another by Annik Boldon at play 99, narrowing the gap to 3-2. Despite Dalhousie's efforts, the Axewomen maintained a lead with consistent scoring, bolstered by multiple errors from their opponents, such as a ball handling error by Kirsty Longino at play 112. In a late rally, Dalhousie managed to tie the game at 22 with a series of successful plays, but the Axewomen ultimately secured the set 25-23 with a kill by Allison Van Zeumeren.

In the fourth set, the Axewomen started strong with consecutive kills by Alexia Lemay-Evans, assisted by Katie MacLean, giving them an early 2-0 lead. Dalhousie quickly responded with a series of five points, including a service ace by Talia Vydykhan and multiple blocks, bringing the score to 6-2 in their favor. Melissa Hatfield was a key player for Dalhousie, contributing several kills throughout the set, notably extending the lead to 10-3. Despite multiple service errors by Dalhousie, they maintained control and sealed the set with a 25-17 win, highlighted by Kirsty Longino's decisive kill and a service ace from Melissa Hatfield.

Dalhousie began the fifth set with a strong performance, scoring five consecutive points, including two kills by Kasandra Trenke and a service ace by Melissa Hatfield. The Axewomen responded with a point from Alexia Lemay-Evans, but Dalhousie quickly regained momentum, with Paris Stewart securing another kill to make it 6-1. The Axewomen struggled with errors, committing multiple attack and service errors, which allowed Dalhousie to extend their lead to 13-6. Despite a brief rally from the Axewomen, Dalhousie maintained control with a final kill from Paris Stewart, closing the set 15-9 in favor of Dalhousie. With the win, the Tigers remain at the top of the AUS standings with a record of 9-2.

The Dalhousie team features several standout players this season. Paris Stewart, who was named the player of the game for the Tigers, led the defense with 25 digs and contributed significantly to the team's offense with 17.0 points. Kasandra Trenke showed impressive offensive efficiency with a .458 hitting percentage and tallied 16.5 points, alongside strong blocking with four total blocks. Melissa Hatfield also excelled on both ends, recording 16.5 points and 16 digs. Talia Vydykhan was a key server for the team, leading with four service aces. These players have been instrumental in the team's performance across their matches.

The next game for the Tigers is Friday, January 17 when they host the cross-town rivial, the SMU Huskies.