Tigers fall to Huskies in game 1 of AUS semifinals

Recap by Dr. Casper Macaulay / Saint Mary's Huskies Athletics

HALIFAX, NS - Saint Mary's left side hitters Emilia Mikanovich and Olivia Bell combined for 23.5 points, 21 kills and 23 digs, as the Huskies swept the Dalhousie Tigers in straight sets (25-19, 25-17, 26-24) in game one of the Atlantic University Sport women's volleyball semifinal on Thursday night at the Homburg Centre in Halifax. 

In the opening set, Huskies middle Madison Hann's (Conquerall Mills, NS) serve forced a free ball immediately, but a nervy miscue from the Huskies botched the transition. Huskies setter Taylor Lougheed (Calgary, AB) prioritized middle and right sides early, expecting considerable attention towards Huskies left side Olivia Bell (LaHave Islands, NS) who was honoured as AUS Most Valuable Player pregame. Accordingly, middle Alena Piatukhova (Minsk, Belarus) forced another free ball on attack that was killed off by Megan Bruhm (Hubley, NS). Tigers outside hitter Lucy Glen-Carter (Toronto, ON) mixing up the speeds of her successive attacks gave the Tigers their first kill. Hann solo blocked Tigers middle Grace Calnan (Cole Harbour, NS) into the Huskies logo, but Stewart replied with an attack that buckled Huskies libero Morgan Hoskins (Bishops Falls, NL). Tigers outside Melissa Hatfield (Beaverlodge, AB) sent a pair of aces off the wrists of Huskies receivers to knot the score at 12, but Bell surprised Tigers outside hitter Paris Stewart (Halifax, NS) with a solo block. Bell then found her first kill off the blocks, but Glen-Carter continued to dazzle, leaping from standstill from the middle backcourt to unleash a kill off the back right sideline. Huskies left side Emilia Mikanovich (Minsk, Belarus) produced consecutive kills to either sideline, and the Tigers had to call their own timeout. Hann's consistent service game kept the Tigers off balance, who committed a series of attack errors to forfeit an 18-17 lead, capped off by Hann's ace to give the Huskies six set points. Shortly after, Lougheed's quick set to Piatukhova gave the Huskies the first set, 25-19. 

The Huskies jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the second set. However, Tigers libero Rebecca MacDonnell (Mount Uniacke, NS) seemed magnetic, somehow staving off five consecutive Mikanovich crosscourt attacks, before Glen-Carter found a sideline seam for the Tigers' first point of the set. Unfortunately for the Tigers, cowbells in the Homburg Centre brought Bell to life. A block from Bruhm on Tigers outside hitter Talia Vydykhan (Hammonds Plains, NS) and more Tigers miscues were part of a Huskies spree that put them ahead 14-4 and forced the Tigers into two second timeouts. The Tigers found energy from Hatfield, whose right-side explosions were complemented by deadly surgery on the left side from Glen-Carter. The Tigers rallied behind diving float serves from angles that only Calnan could create. A kill from Vydykhan off the forearm of an outstretched Milanovich in the backfield brought the Tigers within a 19-16 margin. However, the Tigers continued to misfire, and Hoskins' reflexes transitioned a certain crosscourt kill from Vydykhan into a dime executed by Bell. Huskies rookie Brea De Souza (Oakville, ON) made the most of a late substitution, converting from the left side to give the Huskies a handful of set points. The Huskies took a 25-17 second set win. 

In the third set, the Tigers early 6-3 lead was erased behind the serves of Lougheed, whose ace gave the Huskies an 8-6 advantage. The ensuing Tigers timeout only served to motivate Bell, whose back-to-back kills prompted Hatfield's return to the game in place of Glen-Carter. Hoskins' fingertips on the floor somehow dug a tipped netball leading to a Huskies point. Undeterred, Hatfield unloaded from her characteristic windup, putting herself on serve, leading to a chaotic rally featuring Bell flinging herself out the right corner to slap the ball ahead for a Mikanovich kill. Hatfield tied the score at 14, before a miscommunication between Lougheed and Bell yielded the advantage to the Tigers at 16-15. Hann was part of another block, this time with Bell, but Tigers setter Kirsty Longino (Calgary, AB) assisted Hatfield for her sixth kill of the set. Glen-Carter was brought back for Hatfield to return Bruhm serves and generated clean transition chances for the Tigers. Nonetheless, Piatukhova and Lougheed met Vydykhan at the net to provide the Huskies a 23-22 edge. Vydykhan bounced back with a kill, but Bell came up clutch for the Huskies. She found a gap between the Tigers defenders, giving her team a match point. While a layout dig at the logo from the Tigers transitioned Bell's deflected attack into a pipe from Calnan to even the score, Lougheed remained subscribed to Bell, who muscled another attack, earning the Huskies' second match point. The Tigers went back to their own MVP, Glen-Carter, but Hann and Bruhm stood tall and reflected her left side attack spinning to the Tigers right sideline to win the set 26-24, and the match 3-0. 

Emilia Mikanovich was named Player of the Game for the Huskies with nine kills and nine digs, while Bell had 12 kills, 14 digs, and two blocks for the Huskies. Megan Bruhm chipped in seven kills, four digs, and three blocks. Taylor Lougheed had 29 assists, 13 digs, and three blocks, while Madison Hann had four blocks, including the game-winner. 

Talia Vydykhan had ten kills, nine digs, and three blocks to lead the Tigers. Lucy Glen-Carter had nine kills and five digs, while Melissa Hatfield had six kills for the Tigers in an efficient third set performance, along with two aces from the second set. Hannah Ropret and Kirsty Longno had 19 and 11 assists, respectively. 

The best-of-three series will now shift to Dalhousie, where the Tigers will host a win-or-go-home game two this Saturday, Feb. 25 at 2 p.m. at the Dalplex. If the Tigers win, the Huskies would host game three on Monday, Feb. 27 at 7 p.m. at the Homburg Centre.