Sea-Hawks beat Tigers 3-2 in opening semifinal game

The Dalhousie Tigers fell to Memorial Sea-Hawks in the opening game of the Bell AUS playoff semifinal series, with a final score of 3-2 (22-25, 25-14, 25-23, 21-25, 12-15) on Friday at Dalplex.

The opening frame saw several momentum shifts. The Sea-Hawks opened the scoring with Lydia Grawer's (St. Louis, MI) kill but Dalhousie quickly equalized due to an attack error by Memorial's Olivia DeDecker (Kipling, SK). The Tigers went on a strong run, taking a 19-14 lead after consecutive attack errors by Memorial, prompting a timeout by the Sea-Hawks. The Sea-Hawks rebounded with Courtney Hodder's (Main Point, NL) and Grawer's service aces, ultimately closing the set with a 25-22 victory after a series of successful plays.

In the second set, Memorial took an early lead with two consecutive points, capitalizing on an attack error by Talia Vydykhan (Hammonds Plains, NS) and a kill by Taylar Johnston (Nokomis, SK). Dalhousie quickly responded, tying the score with an attack error by DeDecker and a kill by Kasandra Trenke (Calgary, AB). The Sea-Hawks managed to stay competitive with effective plays, such as Johnston's kill at 8-8. However, Dalhousie surged ahead with a strong performance from Grace Calnan (Dartmouth, NS), who delivered two service aces and contributed to a series of points that stretched their lead to 18-9. Despite Memorial's efforts, including a kill by Grawer, Dalhousie maintained their momentum to close the set with a 25-14 victory, highlighted by Annik Boldon's (Fredericton, NB) final kill assisted by Abby Melvin(Prospect Bay, NS).

Dalhousie began the third set with a challenging start, conceding the first five points to the Sea-Hawks, including kills by DeDecker and Johnston, and an attack error by Trenke. After a timeout with the score at 5-0, the Tigers managed to break Memorial's streak with a kill by Trenke, but the Sea-Hawks quickly extended their lead to 13-8 with contributions from Grawer and Ashlynn Harris Orillia, ON). Dalhousie then mounted a comeback, highlighted by three consecutive service aces from Vydykhan, leveling the score at 16-16. The set concluded with Dalhousie taking the lead and eventually securing a 25-23 victory, with Trenke delivering the final kill for the home team.

In the fourth set, Dalhousie took an early lead with an emphatic Melissa Hatfield kill. The Sea-Hawks quickly responded, tying the score at 2-2 with an attack error by Hatfield and a kill by DeDecker, who was named one of the players of the game for her outstanding performance. Memorial gained momentum with a series of successful plays, including a kill by Grawer, pushing their lead to 11-7. Dalhousie called a timeout shortly after as the Sea-Hawks extended their lead to 18-11 with a service ace from Johnston. The Tigers fought back with key kills from Ella Hornby (Calgary, AB) and Boldon, closing the gap to 23-20. However, the Sea-Hawks sealed the set with a final kill by Grawer, ending the set with a score of 25-21 in favor of Memorial.

In the fifth set, the Sea-Hawks took an early lead, scoring the first three points, aided by two attack errors from Trenke. Dalhousie responded with a four-point run, turning the score to 4-3 in their favor, with kills by Hornby and Trenke, and took advantage of an attack error by DeDecker. Memorial then regained momentum with a four-point streak, including a service ace by Johnston, pushing the score to 8-5. The Tigers managed to tie the game at 9-9, thanks to a bad set by Karen Greek (Mount Pearl, NL) and a kill by Calnan, but the Sea-Hawks pulled ahead again, ultimately winning the set 15-12, with key contributions from Grawer.

Trenke stands out for the Tigers with 18 total points, including 14 kills and three blocks, making a critical impact on both offense and defense. Annik Boldon, who was also named one of the players of the game, leads the team in digs with 16, providing key defensive support and contributing 13 points. Grace Calnan has demonstrated efficiency in attack with a .357 hitting percentage, tallying eight kills and two blocks in five games. These players have been pivotal in their respective roles for Dalhousie's volleyball team.

The Sea-Hawks go up 1-0 in the semifinal series with game two happening at 7pm on Saturday at Dalplex.