Congratulations are in order to Dalhousie’s women’s and men’s volleyball teams for their commendable performances at AUS championships over the weekend.
Volleyball
The men’s volleyball AUS championship banner has returned to Dalhousie after two victories over UNB last weekend. Game one took place Friday at Dalplex, with the Tigers winning 3-1 in four very close sets. Graeme Higgins played well, collecting 14 kills, 13 digs, and six blocks, while Kenneth Rauwerda hit an impressive 23 kills to lead the offence. On defence, libero Travis MacLean had 22 digs and rookie Connor Maessen was a force at the net with 11 blocks.
On Sunday the team traveled to UNB for game two. Both teams needed extra points to seal the deal in the first two sets, with Dal taking the first set 28-26 and UNB taking the second 26-24. The Tigers went on to win the next two sets and reclaim the AUS title. Rauwerda (21 kills, eight digs, four blocks), Higgins (17 kills, seven digs, five blocks), and MacLean (11 digs) led the black and gold victory. Dal will compete at the CIS championship hosted by Queen's University March 2-4.
It has been an excellent season for women’s volleyball, capped off with a second-place finish at the 2012 Subway AUS Championship this past weekend in Moncton. In Saturday’s semifinal match against Memorial the Tigers traded sets with the Sea-Hawks, forcing the game to a fifth set. Determined to win, Dal came out strong and commanded a 15-4 score in the fifth set to take the match 3-2. AUS All-Rookie team recipients Tara Gowan and Maggie Li led on offense for the black and gold with 13 and 12 kills each. On the defensive side Lauren Smith and Louise Facca collected 28 and 21 digs, respectively.
On Sunday Dalhousie faced cross-town rivals Saint Mary’s in the championship final. The Tigers put forth an impressive effort, but the Huskies, ranked second in the country, took the match 3-1. Facca (12 kills, four aces, 10 digs), Raessa Lalani (12 kills, 11 digs), Li (12 kills, three aces), and Kirstie Shepherd (11 kills, 10 digs) all had notable performances for the black and gold. Lalani and Li were also named to the championship all-star team.
Hockey
Women’s hockey earned two come-from-behind victories this weekend, including a big win over CIS fifth-place Moncton. At Saint Mary’s on Friday the Tigers were down 1-0 after the first period, but Jocelyn LeBlanc and Robyn Nicholson scored within a minute of each other in the second period to take the lead. Jenna Currie added a goal late in the second, and LeBlanc netted one more in the third to secure a 4-2 win for Dal. With less than four minutes to go in Saturday’s home game versus Moncton, the Tigers were down 2-0. In an incredible performance, Nicholson scored three goals in less than two minutes to give the black and gold a 3-2 win over UdeM. The team plays its last regular season game on Sunday, hosting St. Thomas at 2 p.m.
Basketball
At home over the weekend the sixth place women’s basketball team had two losses to AUS second-place Cape Breton. In Saturday’s game the Tigers fell 89-75 with Courtney Thompson collecting 19 points and player of the game honours. Anna von Maltzahn, who is leading the AUS in rebounds, picked up a double-double with 17 points and 12 rebounds. On Sunday the team came up short 76-62. Thompson banked 19 points while Alex Legge added 12 and now leads the AUS in field goal percentage.
On Saturday, the men’s basketball team clinched a playoff berth in their victory over CBU. Down 59-52 after three quarters, the Tigers outscored the Capers in the fourth quarter. With 40 seconds left, Dal’s Stephen Lopez was left wide open in the key and scored to tie the game at 72. The black and gold earned an 86-82 win in overtime with Casey Fox (20 points) and William Yengue (17 points, 10 rebounds) leading the way. In Sunday’s game at the Halifax Metro Centre the Tigers led the first half, but the second place Capers pulled ahead in the end to take the game 73-68. Robert Nortmann now leads the AUS in offensive rebounds after collecting 16 points and 11 rebounds while Sam Williams added 13 points and 12 rebounds. Fox drained three three-pointers and banked 15 points in only 24 minutes of court time.
This weekend the basketball teams host two double headers against UNB. Friday’s games are at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m., where one lucky fan will win an Apple iPad in the PCPC Friday Night Flights Final. On Saturday, the Tigers hit the court at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Come show your black and gold pride at the last regular season basketball games at Dalplex.