Oyler leads Tigers in loss to Rouge et Or

HALIFAX, Nova Scotia — Laval defeated Dalhousie in four sets at Dalplex on Saturday, with scores of 25-22, 25-16, 24-26, 25-17. 

The match began with Dalhousie's Luke Enstrom securing the first point from a Samuel Gallagher set. Dalhousie maintained an early lead, with Jacob Oyler contributing several kills, until a series of errors allowed the Rouge et Or to draw level at 5-5. Laval's Terell Tchouassi proved pivotal, recording multiple kills to help his team edge ahead. Despite efforts from Dalhousie, including a service ace from Oyler, Laval managed to stay competitive and eventually took control with a run of points, leading to a tense 23-21 scoreline. Tchouassi's decisive kill, assisted by Felix-Antoine Perron, clinched the set for Laval at 25-22.

In the second set, the Rouge et Or's offense was led by Tchouassi, who delivered multiple key kills, including the set-winning point assisted by Charles St-Aubin. Dalhousie struggled to keep pace, with consecutive errors contributing to Laval's early 8-4 advantage, prompting a timeout. Despite efforts from Matthew McCarvell and Dillan Morphet, who each secured kills from Gallagher's assists, Dalhousie was unable to close the gap significantly. Laval maintained their lead and ended the set 25-16, aided by Perron's contributions and a series of Dalhousie service errors.

Laval started the third set with an early lead, highlighted by a kill from St-Aubin. Dalhousie kept pace with consistent contributions from their lineup, including a service ace by Gavin Johnson. Mid-set, Laval extended their advantage to 19-17 with a service ace from Perron, prompting a Dalhousie timeout. Dalhousie responded with a strong comeback, capitalizing on Laval's attack errors to tie the set at 20. As the set reached a tense conclusion, Dallas Tufts delivered a crucial kill to give Dalhousie a 25-24 edge, and a block by Lucas Condon-O. secured the final point, resulting in a 26-24 victory for Dalhousie.

In the fourth set, the Rouge et Or surged ahead with a series of points, including a service ace by St-Aubin, building a 4-1 lead. Dalhousie struggled with errors early on, contributing to Laval's advantage. Despite a strong effort from Oyler, who tallied multiple kills assisted by Gallagher, Dalhousie could not close the gap. Perron and Thomas Boccardi led Laval with key kills, pushing the score to 24-16. A block by Jacob Gendron on Oyler's attack sealed the set for Laval, ending it at 25-17.

Oyler led the team with 18 kills on 35 attempts, finishing with 20.5 points. Gallagher recorded 42 assists, effectively orchestrating the offense. Morphet added 10 kills and 6 digs, contributing defensively as well. Condon-O. was strong at the net, tallying six total blocks.

The Tigers now hit the road on Friday, November 21, head to Montreal to battle the Carabins.