Mystics fall short to Tommies
The Mystics showed strong stretches throughout the match but ultimately came up just shy as the visiting Tommies found key runs at crucial moments.
(Halifax, NS) The St. Thomas Tommies defeated the host Mount Saint Vincent Mystics in three sets (25-23, 25-16, 25-11) Sunday afternoon at the A. Garnet Brown Memorial Gymnasium.
The Mystics opened the match with confidence, striking early to take a 6-3 lead behind strong finishes from Taylor Kukurski (New Denmark, NB) and Jenna Allison (Fall River, NS). The opening frame remained tight as both teams traded points, with the Tommies pulling even at 12-12 after consecutive aces from Cali Nadeau (Quispamsis, NB). A four-point Tommies run later pushed the visitors ahead 16-13, but the Mystics surged back, reclaiming the lead late in the set when Emily Murphy (Moncton, NB) put down a kill to make it 21-20. Despite the late push, the Tommies edged out the opening set 25-23.
The Mystics again opened strong in the second set, jumping ahead 3-1 thanks to another kill from Kukurski. The Tommies would answer quickly, overtaking the hosts at 8-7 before extending their lead with a decisive five-point run capped by two more aces from Nadeau. With the Tommies ahead 16-11, the visitors continued to press, building momentum through kills and an ace from Ella Estey (Fredericton, NB). The Mystics fought back with a late four-point burst - supported by an Allison ace and a block from Hailey Nason (Nackawic, NB) - but the Tommies closed out the set 25-19.
In the third frame, both sides traded points early before the Tommies pieced together another scoring stretch, building a 7-4 lead. The Mystics trimmed the deficit to 8-6 with a kill from Sarah Ryan (Inverness, NS), but the Tommies responded with their largest run of the match-an eight-point surge featuring four more aces from Nadeau and two kills by Estey - to take a commanding 16–6 lead. The visitors carried that momentum through the remainder of the set, securing the match with a 25-11 final.
Top Performers – Mystics
- Taylor Kukurski: 6 kills, 2 aces
- Jenna Allison: 4 kills, 2 blocks, 1 ace
- Emily Murphy: 4 kills, 1 assist
Top Performers – Tommies
- Cali Nadeau: 9 aces, 9 kills
- Kathleen Boyle: 13 kills, 1 ace
- Ella Estey: 18 assists, 6 kills
The Mystics will return to the court in the new year when they travel to Charlottetown on Saturday, January 10th to face off with the Holland College Hurricanes. First serve will be at 3:00pm. The Tommies return to the court on Saturday, January 17th when they travel back to Halifax to face the University of King's College Blue Devils. Game time is at 1:00pm.