Posted: Feb 19, 2012
After winning the first game of the best two-of-three AUS championship at home, the Tigers were on the road Sunday looking to defeat the Varsity Reds in the Currie Center.
Both teams were even from the get go, as they traded points throughout the entire set. The largest lead of the set was Dalhousie’s at 13-10, but UNB would battle back to take their second lead of the set 14-13.
The Varsity Reds would lead 24-23, but with set point within their reach they crumbled and Dalhousie bounced back to take the set 28-26.
In the second set the V-Reds would gain some of their lost momentum, opening up a six-point lead at 11-5, but the Tigers would start to chip away at the lead. Eventually they would tie the set at 22-22.
“I thought we had a down moment in the second set, we were up big in the set and then we had two or three unforced errors that we shouldn’t have had and they clawed back in that one,” said UNB head coach Dan McMorran
This time UNB would not fall apart and took the set 26-24.
The Varsity Reds momentum would carry into the third set, but midway through the set the Tigers would start to pull away, eventually winning 25-19.
After the third set loss the Varsity Reds came out more flat in the fourth set.
“That’s just the way we’ve played the last couple of weekend’s unfortunately,” said McMorran. “We play some great ball and then take some points off and when you’re riding those kinds of waves it’s difficult to generate momentum.”
Dalhousie would lead by as much as ten, eventually winning the set 25-20 and the AUS championship title.
“Losing last year definitely hurt and I think our guys definitely had a greater sense of purpose this season to come back and win a championship,” said Dalhousie head coach Dan Ota. “When you lose a championship like we did last year, it really stings and I know all the guys that were on last years team wanted to make this their singular purpose in their season and I’m glad we were able to come back and win a championship.”
The Tigers will now represent the conference at the CIS men’s volleyball championship being held by Queen’s University March 2-4.
“No weak team is at a national championship obviously so we’re facing the realistic possibility that we’re going to be facing a number one or number two seed at worst in the first round,” said Ota. “In a single match elimination format you just have to come out a great game and if you catch another team slightly off their game anything can happen.”