HALIFAX, NS – The Saint Mary’s Huskies (11-4) took a straight set victory (25-22, 25-15, 25-20) against the Moncton Aigles Bleues (5-10) in Atlantic University Sport women’s volleyball action on Friday night at the Homburg Centre in Halifax.
The Huskies were deadly efficient up front, with players-of-the-game right side Megan Bruhm (Hubley, NS) and left side Emilia Mikanovich (Minsk, Belarus) combining for 17 kills on 33 attempts with only three errors. The absence of Aigles Bleues star outside hitter Anne Paquette (Baie Saint-Anne, NB) was significant, and Moncton was held to an 8% hitting percentage.
The Huskies hitters were on point early, jumping out to a 5-1 lead behind kills from Mikanovich. The Aigles Bleues evened up the score behind free balls generated by outside Sara Chiasson’s (Pointe-à-Bouleau, NB) tricky serves. On the opposite end Aigles Bleues middle Sophie Hédou (Edmunston, NB) made a solo block on middle Madison Hann off a Aigles Bleues free ball to keep the score knotted at nine. Mikanovich finally found some resistance on the left, but was re-set by setter Taylor Lougheed (Calgary, AB) for a successful second attempt as part of back-to-back kills. Aigles Bleues setter Cassidy Martin (Dieppe, NB) kept the Huskies on their toes all game, including turning a free ball into a fake set kill. After an extended rally at 16-15 won by Aigles Bleues, Hann replied with a huge block. At 19-18, Hédou and Mikanovich exchanged kills in front of their benches, but another double block by the Aigles Bleues forced a Huskies timeout. Mikanovich’s sixth kill put her on serve at 22-22, where a Lougheed fake set forced a rafter-high ball directly above the net, put away by Huskies middle Alena Piatukhova. The Aigles Bleues took a timeout of their own, setting up an epic rally culminating with Piatukhova and left side Olivia Bell (Lahave, NS) teaming up for a denial on middle Kyana Sivret (Rivière-à-la-Truite, NB). Piatukhova produced on set point, repeatedly denying attacks before being assisted by Lougheed to take the set 25-22.
The second set began with hope for the Aigles Bleues. Martin dialed up an ace, before libero Emily Robichaud (Dieppe, NB) proved it possible to dig a Mikanovich meteor. The Aigles Bleues were dedicated to denying Bell momentum, continually sending double blockers her way.
Seizing the opportunity, Piatukhova asserted interior dominance behind positive sets from Lougheed, and the Huskies won a multi-minute rally mid-set. The Huskies received a scare when at 8-8 Mikanovich sought treatment clutching her electric right elbow, just as Huskies continued ran into a slew ofservice errors. Aigles Bleues outside Hannah Lytwyn (Winnipeg, MB) earned a 12-11 lead testing Piatukhova up the middle, but Mikanovich returned to the game for a left side thumper. Hédou tested Piatukhova again, but she turned her own block into a self-assist, unlocking service specialist Paige Deering (Calgary, AB). She forced a free ball that was fumbled by the huskies. Lougheed led a big Huskies run on serve, with precise blocks from Hann turning defense into quick points. At 19-13, the Aigles Bleues took timeout only for Lougheed to ace. The Huskies were ecstatic when rookie left side Breagh De Souza (Oakville, ON) slammed one up the line, and Bruhm booms closed out the second set 25-15.
The third set looked like more of the same from the Huskies, with early kills from Piathukova and Bruhm from Lougheed, although the Aigles Bleues evened it up, featuring some setter trickery from Martin. De Souza’s meaningful minutes featured explosive attacks and a full-speed topspin ace. The Huskies seized on Paquette’s absence, seding multiple blockers at Chiasson, although she found success off the blocks to keep the scores even. However, an untimely service error by the Aigles Bleues put Bell on serve, and she piled on the pressure for a 14-9 advantage. Deering was sent in to close out the game at 19-14, and after the Huskies won the initial rally, Deering’s slippery serves were only halted by a service error at 23-15. Sivret replied with excellence under pressure, and her service aces combined with Huskies errors were part of a nerve-wracking rally to cut the lead to 23-20. Bell rang one off the blocks, yielding a Huskies match point, and Hann cleaned up an errant mid-net pass from the Aigles Bleues to close the set and match 25-20.
The Huskies were led by Players-of-the-Game Megan Bruhm (eight kills, 37.5 hit%, six digs, and three blocks) and Emilia Mikanovich (nine kills, 47 hit%, and 7 digs). Meanwhile, AUS assist leader Taylor Lougheed added another 31 to her campaign.
Setter Cassidy Martin was central to the Aigles Bleues’ effort, with four kills on six attempts, while adding 21 assists, six digs, and two blocks. Sara Chiasson led her team with 16 digs and 7 kills. Sophie Hédou had four kills and five blocks.
The Huskies and Aigles Bleues will conclude their second home-and-home series of the season next Saturday, February 3rd at 7:00 PM AST in Moncton. The Huskies will be back at the Homburg Centre on Saturday, February 10th to host the Dalhousie Tigers, also at 7:00 PM AST.
Recap by Dr. Casper Macaulay / Saint Mary’s Huskies Athletics
Photos by Eduardo Ibarra / Saint Mary’s Huskies Athletics