Tigers undefeated despite Acadia's attempt to dethrone

AUS Tournament Day 3 Recap:

UNB Reds – 3 vs Memorial Sea-Hawks – 0  (25-15, 25-19, 25-21)

UNB's Adora Rooyakkers led the pack with 13 kills, nine digs, and two service aces as the Reds handed Memorial a 3-0 match loss.

The opening set for the Sea-Hawks was a let down as the Reds dominated from the opening service, but Memorial would not quit after the 25-15 loss.

Trailing by as much as nine points, Memorial worked back from a 19-10 deficit to within four points on a five-point run led by UNB errors, Belle de Vries' service ace, Rooyakkers kill and Kelsey Bond's service ace. Unable to overcome the deficit, the Sea-Hawks fell short in a 25-19 loss.

The third game was tight until two Memorial attack errors gave UNB at 12-10 lead that would hold until the final 25-21 outcome.

Rooyakkers was named the AUS Subway Player of the Game. Teammate Megan Kuciak added nine kills and three service aces to the winning score.

Emma Hackett, named the Sea-Hawks Player of the Game, had four kills, six digs, and two service aces. Kaitlyn Kuchinka led Memorial with five kills.

The Sea-Hawks are still looking for their first win of the season at a 0-8 record. UNB improves to 4-5 after picking up one win this past weekend.

Dalhousie Tiger - 3 vs Acadia Axewomen – 0 (25-22, 25-20, 25-16)

The most highly anticipated game of the AUS Tournament weekend ended in a 3-0 Dalhousie Tiger win. In a match between the undefeated No. 5 Nationally ranked Tigers and the up and coming Axewomen fell short of an upset win for the Axewomen.

Dalhousie out-lasted the Axewomen in a see-saw battle in the opening set. Down by a point, after a Peyton DeWolfe kill at 16-17, a Tigers' kill by Julie Moore followed by two service aces by Mieke DuMont put Dalhousie out of reach in an eventual 25-22 win.

The Axewomen trailed the Tigers for the entire second set, closing the gap to 9-7 early in the game. Pulling away by as much as nine, Dalhousie wrapped up the second game with two Mieke DuMont kills.

Tied at nine in the third and eventual final set, three consecutive attack errors and a bad set put the Axewomen in a 9-13 deficit. Six kills by the Tigers combined with Acadia errors gave Dalhousie a 25-16 third game win.

DuMont was named the Tigers' Subway Player of the Game for her performance of a team-leading eight kills, nine digs, and three service aces. Julie Moore added 8 kills and 17 digs in the Dalhousie win.

Jamie Crocket was named the Acadia Player of the Game with five kills. Lucy Glen-Carter led the Axewomen with six kills and 13 digs. Peyton DeWolfe and Lauryn Renzella each posted five kills.

The Tigers remain undefeated with a 9-0 record while the Axewomen fall to 7-2. Both teams will meet again after the Christmas break at Acadia on January 10^th – opening up the second half of the regular season.

Saint Mary's Huskies - 3 vs Moncton Aigles Bleues – 0 (25-22, 25-20, 25-16)

The Saint Mary's Huskies completed the AUS Tournament with a 3-2 record – losses to Acadia and Dalhousie – after a convincing 3-0 win over Moncton.

Olivia Bell led the way for the Huskies with nine kills, while teammate Emilia Conlon grabbed the Subway Player of the Game honours with 29 assists as the Huskies' setter.

A see-saw opening set had nine lead changes until a Bethan Smith kill and an Anna Watt service ace gave the Huskies a 24-22 advantage and eventual 26-24 win.

Moncton would not let the first set loss deter them in their hopes to grab a second match win. The Aigles Bleues pushed out to an 11-3 lead early in the second set. The Huskies fought back to tie the game at 19 on an Olivia Bell kill. Moncton battled hard to take a 23-20 lead that would vanish on a Bethany Smith kill followed by two consecutive Kennedy Wright service aces and a kill by Anna Watt. The second game concluded with Moncton attack error and 25-23 Aigles Bleues loss.

Tied at 14 in the third set, the Huskies pushed ahead with a closing of nine consecutive points awarded to Saint Mary's. Two service aces by Watt and a Moncton attack error concluded the set and match.

Ivana Urquhart captured the Player of the Game honours for the Aigles Bleues with a strong weekend of play. Pascale Doiron and Joanie Arsenault each posted eight kills for Moncton.

The Huskies improve to 5-4 on the season, while the Aigles Bleues will head home with their first win after a weekend of five games.

Acadia Axewomen - 3 vs Memorial Sea-Hawks – 0 (25-15, 25-20, 25-12)

The Axewomen volleyball team wrapped a five-match weekend as host of the AUS women's volleyball tournament with a 4-1 record and a 3-0 win over Memorial.

The entire Acadia bench was utilized in the last match of the weekend with several key players getting limited time.

Lauryn Renzella finished with nine kills, 10 digs, and two service aces, while teammate and Subway Player of the Match added five kills on seven attacks, two solo blocks and a service ace.

Only once during the entire match did Acadia trail Memorial (early in the final set). The Axewomen had a 0.266 team kill percentage and nine service aces in the win.

Regan Herrington served up 26 assists and on the defending side, digs were done by committee with four Axewomen sharing the duty evenly including 10 digs for Renzella, Lucy Glen-Carter, Bianca Ruiz and 15 for Taylor Collombin.

Memorial's offensive scoring came from Kaitlyn Kuchinka, Hailey Oke and Emma Hatchett who all recorded four kills each. Hannah Potratz offered nine digs in defending Acadia.

The Axewomen will take on first place Dalhousie when the return from the Christmas Holidays on January 10 at Acadia, while the Sea-Hawks return to action on January 11-12 in Moncton for two matches.