Posted: Jan 27, 2017
(HALIFAX, NS) – The Dalhousie Tigers won their first of two games versus the UNB Varsity Reds Friday January 27 at the Dalplex. The Tigers improved to 9-3 while the Varsity Reds dropped to 6-8 with the loss.
The Tigers won straight sets over the UNB Varsity Reds. Dalhousie was lead by dominant offensive performances from Matthew Donovan (London, ON) who had twelve kills, and Kristen O'Brien (Truro, NS) who had ten kills.
Several attack errors from the Varsity Reds allowed the Tigers to open up a 10-5 lead early in the first set.
The Varsity Reds were able to cut the Tigers lead to just three points from the help of the dominate play of Eivind Andersen (Sardnes, Norway). Anderson had six first set kills, and finished the game with team high fourteen points.
Despite the strong push from the Varsity Reds the Tigers would not give up their lead, taking the first set 25-22.
UNB opened up the second set with four straight points to take an early lead.
A Dalhousie timeout combined with an assertive kill from Donovan ignited the Tigers. Dalhousie would respond with four unanswered points of their own to tie the game 4-4.
The remainder of the second set was a back and forth affair as both teams exchanged leads until they were deadlocked at 12 points.
An attack error from the Varity Reds allowed the Tigers to retake the lead just before the technical timeout.
Another two critical kills from Donovan helped the Tigers widen their lead to two points. The Tigers would carry the two-point lead into the technical timeout with a score of 16-14.
Both teams continued to exchange serves until an emphatic serve from Matthew Woods (Halifax, NS) propelled the Tigers to a 25-19 second set win.
The final set of the match provided some exciting back and forth action for the 200 plus fans in attendance at the Dalplex. Each team lost and regained the momentum from another multiple times throughout this set. At the technical timeout, the Tigers would turn it up a notch and take the game and the match by a final score of 25-18.
The Subway player of the game for Dalhousie was Matthew Woods and Alex Egers (Fredericton, NB) for UNB.
Both teams are back in action for their second game of the weekend Saturday January 28 at the Dalplex. The game is set for 3:30pm.