Dalhousie advances to final with semifinal sweep over UNB

The Dalhousie Tigers women’s volleyball team took game two of the 2023 Subway AUS Women’s Volleyball semifinal series, defeating the UNB REDS 3-0 (27-25, 25-20, 25-23) to sweep the series 2-0. 

Both teams traded points early on in the first set, before UNB got out to an 8-4 lead. Strong serving from Dalhousie’s Paris Stewart (Halifax, N.S.) and some attacking errors from UNB enabled the Tigers to tie things up 8-8. The back and forth play continued midway through the set until a strong serving run from Grace Calnan (Dartmouth, N.S.) helped the Tigers gain momentum to start to pull ahead. The REDS worked hard to close the gap to tie the set up at 25-25, but the Tigers pushed through taking the first set 27-25. 

UNB came out swinging in the second set, but another impressive run of serves from Calnan ignited the Tigers to regain the lead and put some distance between them and UNB to lead by as many as seven points midway through the set. UNB again rallied late in the set to close the gap, but the Tigers stayed tough and took the second set 25-20. 

Dalhousie got out to an early lead in the third and UNB again applied pressure midway through to tie things up 22-22. The Tigers were again able to pull together a series of great plays to close out the third and final set 25-23. 

Heather Benko (Sechelt, B.C.) earned Subway Player of the Game honours for the REDS accumulating a team-high 16 kills along with 10 digs, two blocks and an ace. Isla Olesen (Calgary, Alta.) and Bailey Lemieux (Fredericton, N.B.) each chipped in seven kills apiece, while Katelyn Chapman (Indian Mountain, N.B.) had a match-high 15 digs. 

Setter Brett Boldon (Fredericton, N.B.) had 35 assists, five kills, four blocks and three digs to be named the Subway Player of the Game for Dalhousie. Lucy Glen-Carter (Toronto, Ont.) had a match-high 21 kills as well as 14 digs and a block. Alessandra Nadalini (Bedford, N.S.) had 14 digs for the Tigers as well. 

The Tigers will face the winner of the Saint Mary’s-Acadia semifinal series next weekend in the 2023 Subway AUS Women’s Volleyball Championship series.  

-Recap courtesy of Dalhousie Athletics