(FREDERICTON, NB) The UNB REDS beat l’Université de Moncton Aigles Bleues in straight sets on Saturday night, the final Atlantic University Sport regular season game for both teams.
Veteran REDS setter Catherine Burns (Fredericton, NB) led the home team with 35 assists and was named the Tim Horton’s Player of the Game.
“I’m so proud of the team effort we put forward today,” said Burns. “I could not have done it without my teammates, the staff, everyone off the bench. It feels fantastic. We always want to win on Senior Night.”
The opening set saw the teams trade points in the early going through an 8-8 tie before UNB opened an 11-8 lead.
They extended that lead to 16-10 on route to a 25-14 first set victory.
The REDS carried momentum into the second set, building an early 7-3 lead.
Moncton then scored four of the next five points to pull within one at 8-7.
Tied 11-11, the REDS went on a 3-0 run to pull ahead 14-11 and then pushed that lead to 22-12.
UNB won the second set 25-16 taking a two-sets-to-none lead.
In the third set, the REDS raced out to a 5-1 lead.
Moncton attempted to keep them within reach, closing the gap to 6-3 before the REDS raced away again.
When UNB scored to make it 17-10 Moncton was forced to call timeout.
Meghan Vaags (Abbotsford, BC) delivered an ace out of the timeout as UNB extended the lead to 18-10.
Moncton would challenge but couldn’t rally and UNB won the third set 25-19 for the straight sets win.
“We have a lot of trust in each other and I’m so grateful that my teammates would do that for me (win on Senior Night),” said Burns. “It makes me feel really appreciated and it makes me want to give to them even more than I already have.”
Sophie Hédou (Edmundston, NB) and Kyana Sivret (Rivére-à-la-Truite, NB) each had six kills for Moncton while Emily Robichaud (Dieppe, NB) had seven digs.
Lydia Green (Bedford, NS) and Heather Benko (Sechelt, BC) led UNB with 12 and 11 kills respectively while Jenna Adams (Truro, NS) recorded a match-high 17 digs.
That gave Adams 428 digs for the season, establishing a new AUS single season record, eclipsing the mark established last season, 412 by Acadia’s Rebecca Dorsey. Adams led the AUS and U SPORTS in digs and digs per set and is the first RED to lead the AUS in that category since Jane Pelc in 2004-05.
“It means a lot,” said Adams, of the new league mark. “I really took it on myself to, really, get every ball for my team. You just have to get into the mindset that you can touch every ball and no ball is too far and put your body on the line every single time and dig everything.”
With the victory, UNB finishes fourth in the AUS with an 11-9 record and will take on the league’s top team, the Acadia Axewomen, in the best of three conference semi-finals.
“We know this is crunch time, it’s February,” said Burns. “It’s time for us to make that final push, there’s no better time to peak than in the playoffs.”
Moncton finishes 8-12 and fails to qualify for post-season play.
RECAP BY: Andy Campbell/UNB Athletics
PHOTOS BY: James West/for UNB Athletics