Tigers fall to Vert et Or 3-1

HALIFAX, Nova Scotia — Dalhousie fell to the Université de Sherbrooke in a four-set match at Dalplex on Friday, with scores of 26-24, 22-25, 21-25, and 20-25.

The first set between Dalhousie and Sherbrooke began with a strong start from Dalhousie as Jacob Oyler registered two early kills, contributing to a 3-0 lead. The Vert et Or fought back to tie the score at 6-6, capitalizing on errors from Dalhousie's side. The set featured multiple lead changes, with Sherbrooke briefly taking the lead at 14-13 after a block by Thierry Allen. Dalhousie's Samuel Gallagher played a pivotal role, assisting on multiple kills, including a critical one by Lucas Condon-Oldreive that tied the score at 24-24. Ultimately, Dalhousie clinched the set 26-24, with Oyler securing the final point through a kill and an attack error by Justin Roy sealing Sherbrooke's fate.

Sherbrooke opened the second set with a strong performance, quickly advancing to a 5-2 lead. Dalhousie struggled to maintain momentum, with frequent attack errors contributing to the Vert et Or's advantage. Condon-Oldreive and Oyler provided key points for Dalhousie, with Gallagher setting up multiple successful plays. Sherbrooke's Olivier Ducharme was instrumental, assisting on several kills, including pivotal points by Allen and Emile Barrette. Despite a late surge by Dalhousie, Sherbrooke held firm, closing the set 25-22 with a block by Allen on Oyler's attack.

Dalhousie and Sherbrooke engaged in a tightly contested third set, with both teams exchanging leads. Dalhousie took an early 3-0 advantage, highlighted by a kill from Gallagher and an error from Sherbrooke's Antoine Ravet. Sherbrooke responded, fueled by Gregoire Mercier-Noel's back-to-back kills, and took a 10-8 lead. Dalhousie fought back to tie the match at 16-16 with a service ace from Oyler, but a series of attack errors allowed Sherbrooke to regain control. Despite a late surge from Dalhousie with a block by Luke Enstrom, Sherbrooke secured the set 25-21, concluding with a service ace from Mercier-Noel.

Sherbrooke emerged victorious in the fourth set against Dalhousie with a 25-20 win. The set began with Dalhousie scoring the first point due to a bad set by Ducharme, but Sherbrooke quickly turned the tide. The Vert et Or's Mercier-Noel was instrumental, delivering multiple kills, including two consecutive kills from Ducharme assists, to extend their lead to 6-2. Dalhousie struggled with attack errors, notably from Dillan Morphet, which allowed Sherbrooke to capitalize and maintain their advantage. Despite Dalhousie's attempts to close the gap, highlighted by Oyler's efforts, Sherbrooke sealed the set with a final point on a bad set by Oyler.

Jacob Oyler led Dalhousie with 18 kills and contributed 20.5 points. Samuel Gallagher facilitated the offense with 37 assists and recorded a perfect 1.000 attack percentage on his single attempt. Lucas Condon-Oldreive was efficient, registering a .538 attack percentage with eight kills on 13 attempts, adding one block. Luke Enstrom bolstered the defense with four total blocks while adding four kills and two service aces.

The Vert et Or and Tigers play a re-match on Saturday at 1pm at Dalplex.