(WOLFVILLE, N.S.) – The Dalhousie Tigers will have two weeks to prepare for the CIS national championship in Brandon, Man. after defeating the Memorial Sea-Hawks in four sets.
The top-seeded Tigers captured their fourth consecutive AUS championship banner this afternoon with a 3-1 win over the second-seeded Memorial Sea-Hawks.
Dalhousie was able to maintain composure after winning the first two games 25-16 and 25-16 before losing a tight 25-21 third set to the Sea-Hawks.
"Our team did an amazing job. For the most part, I don't think a single person looked at the score", said championship MVP and all-star Anna Dunn-Suen (Halifax, N.S ). "We were very focused and they (Memorial) played amazing in the third set. We kept to the process and good things happened."
Dunn-Suen posted a match-high 14 kills on 47 attacks and added a great defensive effort with 14 digs.
After playing to a 7-7 tie in the first game, the Tigers then took a lead they would not relinquish. Ahead by as much as eight, they left no opportunity for the Sea-Hawks to close the gap. Dalhousie took the set 25-16.
Recording only one kill in the opening frame and three in the second, Tigers' standout Dunn-Suen left her best for last. The Tigers fell behind by 7-5 in the second set but gained control at 14-10 on a service ace by Abby Czenze (Halifax, N.S.). From that point onward, Dalhousie would hold on to the lead and claim an eventual 25-15 second set victory.
A refocused Sea-Hawks squad pushed out to a 13-10 lead in the third set.
Dalhousie's experienced squad climbed back to a 19-19 tie after a Dunn-Suen kill. But, the reigning AUS champions couldn't capitalize on an opportunity to sweep the match in three and gave up a 25-21 loss to Memorial.
In the fourth set, the Sea-Hawks continued their comeback efforts, pushing out to 6-0 lead. But the Tigers fought back and pushed to leads to 14-7 and 18-11 on the work of Dunn-Suen who posted six of her 14 kills in the fourth and final set.
Mieke DuMont's (Kamloops, B.C.) kill was the nail in the coffin as the Tigers' 25-17 fourth game win gave Dalhousie their 21st conference championship win since 1971.
Memorial's Jill Snow (Bishop's Fall, N.L.), the 2015-16 conference MVP, had 11 kills and 16 digs along with one service ace and a solo block. Snow was also named to the AUS championship all-star team.
AUS rookie of the year, Kierstin Fey (Selkirk, Man.), posted six kills and nine digs. Teammate Krista Hogan (Kippens, N.L.), named the Subway Player of the Match had five kills, 19 digs and one service ace.
Dalhousie's Mieke DuMont, Courtney Baker (Bridgewater, N.S.) and Victoria Haworth (Waverly, N.S.) had eight, seven and seven kills respectively. Double digit digs were posted by Baker, DuMont, Czenze, Dunn-Suen and Marisa Mota (Kitchener, Ont.). Czenze was named the Subway Player of the Match for the Tigers.
The CIS No. 8-ranked Dalhousie Tigers will head to Brandon, Man. for the upcoming CIS championship which begins March 11.
Subway Players of the Game:
Memorial – Krista Hogan
Dalhousie – Abby Czenze
AUS championship all-star team:
Hillary Monette (Acadia)
Erica Dowling (Saint Mary's)
Kierstin Fey (Memorial)
Jill Snow (Memorial)
Abby Czenze (Dalhousie)
Anna Dunn-Suen (Dalhousie)
Championship MVP:
Anna Dunn-Suen (Dalhousie)