In our second of a two-part fall recap series, we take a look back at how the men’s and women’s volleyball, hockey, and basketball teams fared during the fall semester. Our first recap focused on soccer, cross country, swimming and track and field.
Volleyball
In a season full of high expectations for the women’s volleyball team, the five-time AUS defending champions have not disappointed thus far. They sit atop the AUS standings with a phenomenal 8-1 record, having only surrendered four sets to their opponents so far in the regular season. The record is good enough to send them into the break ranked at #4 in the country.
Outside hitter Julie Moore has led the team with 108 kills on the season in just her first year with the Tigers, while Courtney Baker has been a part of many highlight plays this season, assisting on 267 of the team’s 338 total kills, showing why she earned a spot on the Canadian national team this past summer. The Tigers are back on the court on New Year’s Eve against Regina when they travel to Edmonton.
It has been a tough start to the season for a very young men’s team, getting off to a 2-4 start in conference play. In the small AUS conference, the Tigers sit just behind UNB who are 3-3 on the season.
The Tigers have spread their offence around to multiple hitters in the early goings. Fifth-year Matthew Donovan leads with 85 kills, while second-year Kobe Shannon is not far behind with 51. Just like with the women’s team, a skillful setter has been key for the Tigers offence. Adam Spragg has contributed the assist to 198 of the team’s 256 kills on the season, many of them coming from very difficult sets. The Tigers will look to bounce back in the second half of the season, starting January 5th when they play four matches over the course of two days in the York Excalibur Tournament.
Hockey
The women’s hockey team has already surpassed their win total from last season, just halfway through the current one. The Tigers currently boast an 8-6 record that sets them up for a tight finish in the AUS conference, where they currently sit fourth.
Fifth-year captain Lisa MacLean is currently leading the country in assists with 13, and she is third in total points with 18 through 14 games. Goaltender Fabiana Petricca has been key to the Tigers success so far this season. She sits third in the country in win percentage, as well as seventh in total saves made, and has been an important factor in keeping the Tigers in close games so far this season. The Tigers will look to make a push in the second half of the season starting December 30th with an exhibition game against Saint Mary’s in Bridgewater.
In a conference that includes four U SPORTS top 10 teams, it has been a tough go for the Tigers who sit at the bottom of the AUS standings with a 2-15-1 record. While Corbin Boes has been outstanding in goal for the majority of the season, earning him the second spot in total saves in the nation, the Tigers have struggled offensively. Scoring just 32 goals in 18 games, which has made the difference in many close games this season. The Tigers are down, but not out, as they look to bounce back in the second half and try to make a push for the playoffs starting January 5th when they take on the UNB Varsity Reds in Fredericton.
Basketball
After starting the season hot with back-to-back wins, the women’s basketball team hit a bit of a slump heading into the break, dropping their last five games before the holidays, placing them sixth in the AUS conference. Robertha Charles is leading the way so far for the Tigers with her nearly 14 points and eight rebounds per game. Sophie Gaube is right behind her with 10 points per game, and is shooting an astounding 94% from the free throw line. The Tigers will look to bounce back and improve on their 2-5 record in the second half of the season starting December 30th at the MSVU Dyrick McDermott Invitational.
The men’s basketball team has gotten off to a solid start following their national bronze medal win last season. They picked up wins in their first four games, but suffered back-to-back losses to a tough Acadia team. The Tigers bounced back in an important four-point game to end the first half of the season with a 5-2 record, ranking them third in the AUS conference and eighth in the country.
Sven Stammberger has been a force on both the offensive and defensive ends of the floor for the Tigers, averaging a double-double with 22 points and 10 rebounds per game. Also scoring at a high rate in the first half of the season was Alex Carson with nearly 18 points and four rebounds a game. The Tigers look to keep their high offensive output rolling during the Shoveller Memorial Tournament starting December 29th.
Be sure to keep up with the Tigers in the second half of the season. Check daltigers.ca for information on results, recaps, upcoming events, and more.