REDS Rally Past Tigers to Even AUS Semi-Final Series

(FREDERICTON, NB) The UNB REDS bounced back from their first loss of the season to even their Atlantic University Sport women's volleyball semi-final series with a 3-1 victory over the Dalhousie Tigers, Friday night, at UNB's Richard J. Currie Center. 

The Tigers won Thursday's series opener 3-2, UNB's first loss after a 20-and-0 regular season. 

In the opening set, the Tigers scored the first three points of the match and then went ahead 7-3, prompting an early UNB timeout. 

The REDS would rally and pull even at 10 and again at 12 before a 4-0 run by Dal put the Tigers up 16-12 and brought another timeout call by REDS' head coach Lauren Hale-Miller. 

The REDS rallied once again with a 4-0 run to close the gap to a single point at 17-16. 

The momentum shift was significant and carried the REDS to a 25-22 set win. 

In the second, the Tigers once again built an early lead, going up 16-6 on the hosts. 

Down 17-9, UNB got some timely blocking and a big kill by Heather Benko to trim the Tigers lead to just five, at 17-12. 

A 5-0 REDS run pulled them closer, at 21-19, and brought a Tigers timeout. 

But that did little to slow UNB and the REDS scored the final six points of the set to win it 25-22 and go up two-sets-to-none. 

UNB looked unstoppable to start the third set, opening with a 5-0 run. 

A Tigers timeout halted the momentum, and Dal fought their way back in, drawing even at 9-9. 

The teams then traded 3-0 runs for a 12-12 tie. 

Dal then used an 8-0 run to go ahead 21-13 and never looked back, winning the set 25-16. 

The tight play continued in the fourth set, but Dal edged ahead 7-3 early on. 

The Tigers extended their lead to 12-7 and went up by seven at 18-11. 

But a couple of REDS runs trimmed Dal's advantage to just a single point at 20-19 and the REDS then drew even at 22-22 before scoring the final three points of the set to win the 25-22, again, and take the match three-sets-to-one. 

Jenna Adams led the REDS recording a match-high 28 digs. She was named the Boston Pizza Player of the Game. 

Sonya Nielsen contributed 11 kills and 12 digs while Isla Olesen had nine kills and five blocks. Lydia Green added 16 digs and five blocks, Talia Nixon pitched in with 36 assists and five blocks, and Danielle Krzywonos put up five blocks as well. 

Veteran hitter Ella Hornby led the Tigers with nine kills and 15 digs while Madelyn MacLaughlin put up 34 assists. Mel Hatfield registered 15 digs, and Dominika Aniolowska had five blocks. 

The REDS and Tigers will play the deciding game of the series on Saturday. First serve is scheduled for 7:00pm. 

RECAP BY: Andy Campbell/UNB REDS 

PHOTOS BY: James West/for UNB REDS