The Dalhousie Tigers women’s volleyball team has played to perfection at the midway point of the 2016-17 regular season.
The squad has shut out their opposition in six separate contests, and have lost just four sets all year, en route to a 9-0 record. They currently sit a comfortable six points ahead of second-place Moncton heading into the back half of their schedule.
If history is any indication, the second half of the season should be just as strong for the Tigers.
Leadership
Dalhousie is a combined 38-2 after the winter break over the past five seasons – the last four of which have ended in a conference championship.
Setter Abby Czenze (Halifax, NS), libero Marisa Mota (Kitchener, ON) and outside hitter Amy Appleby (Fredericton, NB) have been members of all four championship rosters dating back to the 2012-13 season and have provided key leadership.
All three players have been on the court for every match and have shone in individual performances as well.
Czenze leads the conference in assists per set, with 9.71, and is third in total assists, with 301. She was the standout in the Tigers last game on November 19 against Moncton, where she finished with 42 assists, three service aces, nine digs and two solo blocks.
Mota is tops in the AUS in both total digs (177) and digs per set (5.71). Her skill-set was on full display in a September 29 matchup against Moncton, where she recorded 30 digs as well as four assists.
Appleby has recorded 19 digs and three service aces on the year – two of which occurred in a strong showing against Memorial on October 28.
Outside hitters
On top of veteran leadership, one of the Tigers biggest assets has been from the outside hitter position, where fourth-year Anna Dunn-Suen (Halifax, NS) and third-year Mieke DuMont (Kamloops, BC) have been stellar, along with Appleby.
DuMont has 78 kills on the year, and has averaged 2.52 kills per set, while Dunn-Suen has totaled 57 kills, and 1.84 per set.
DuMont’s best game of the year was also right before the break against Moncton, where she recorded 15 kills and added two service aces, 11 digs and a solo block.
Dunn-Suen’s top performance came on September 29 against the same Aigles Bleus team, tallying 13 kills, two service aces, eight digs and two solo blocks.
The future is bright
On top of key efforts from numerous veterans, Dalhousie has also gotten tremendous play from second-year athletes Courtney Baker (Bridgewater, NS) and Victoria Haworth (Waverley, NS).
Baker, a setter and member of the 2015-16 U Sports All-Rookie Team, sits second in the conference in kills per set with 3.45. She is also third in the AUS in total kills, with 107. Her efforts have been visible all year , especially during a November 18 matchup against UNB, where she had 17 kills on 24 total attacks, as well as four assists and eight digs.
Haworth, a middle blocker, is currently second in the conference in total blocks, with 25. Her 0.81 blocks per set also tie her for second in the AUS in that department. She has also added 55 kills – which is good for fourth on the team behind Dunn-Suen, DuMont and Baker.
Haworth’s well-rounded skill set was on full display in the opening game of the year against Saint Mary’s, where she finished with six blocks, four digs, four service aces and five kills.
Looking ahead
The Tigers will begin the second half of their season on January 11 against cross-town rivals Saint Mary’s. The Huskies have been responsible for two of the four sets that Dalhousie has surrendered on the year, and will provide strong competition.
On top of one other contest against Saint Mary’s, the Tigers will battle Memorial in three-straight matchups to begin February, and will also see second-place Moncton twice, as well as Acadia and UNB.