REDS Ready For RSEQ
(FREDERICTON, NB) After splitting their 2021-22 RSEQ season-opening series at Dalhousie last weekend, the UNB REDS men’s volleyball team returns to the friendly confines of the Richard J. Currie Center this weekend.
The REDS play host to the Université de Montreal Carabins on Friday evening (7:30pm) and Saturday afternoon (2:00pm).
“We have a great group of dedicated student-athletes that are capable of great things this season,” said veteran REDS hitter Nick Glynn. “It will not come easy, but if we bear down, we feel we can turn some heads and be a force in the RSEQ this season.”
Glynn has been part of REDS teams that have recorded third and fourth place finishes in the past two RSEQ regular seasons (2018-19 and 2019-20).
During those previous seasons, Laval and Montreal have been national powers. But after one weekend of play, it appears some parity might have come to the league.
“To be successful, my teammates and I will have to be dedicated to working hard in practice and the weight room,” said Glynn. “We’ll have to show up to every practice and game with a positive and hard-working mindset. If everyone embraces the hard-working mentality, our team will be successful.”
The three Quebec schools, for the most part, feature players who are generally older and have more experience, with a lot of players coming from a CEGEP school prior to university.
While the REDS return significant experience in 2021-22, UNB is a young team.
“Ten of our 18 student-athletes are either first or second year players,” said REDS head coach Dan McMorran. “We’re in a conference where the three Quebec schools have players who are older and who have more experience, but it’s not a concern as much as it’s just our reality. It forces us to get better quicker.”
McMorran is pleased to have veteran middle and team captain Brad Stewart back for his fifth season of U SPORTS eligibility. He says Eduardo Luchese is emerging as one of the league’s dominant outsides, and starting setter Brad Merryweather continues to improve.
“Our biggest strength is our roster depth,” said McMorran. “We have 18 players this season, with talent that allows us to be deep in a number of positions.”
“We have a good core group of senior leaders, but guys like Nick Glynn and Austin Ross have been emerging leaders for us, so far, with their competitiveness each day, work ethic and attention to detail, both on and off the court.”
McMorran says the team’s depth will be enhanced when Thomas Vickers returns from injury.
“He’ll be one of our players who will lead by example, with his intensity and drive on the floor.”
While the REDS aim to be one of the four of the RSEQ’s five teams to make the playoffs, the group has set team-focused goals.
“A major goal is to be tough to play against,” said Glynn. “At home and on the road, we want to be a team that other teams don’t like to play because of how much grit we have. Especially on the road, we’ve talked about embracing being the away team and having fun with it.”
“There are five very good volleyball teams in our league this year,” said Coach McMorran. “I believe we have a group that can challenge for the conference championship and return to the U SPORTS championship tournament. After splitting our season-opening matches, I feel we missed an opportunity, but we’ll continue to improve, as the competition is not going to get easier, and a good volleyball squad will not make it to the RSEQ playoffs.”
After the weekend series against Montreal, the REDS will head to Laval for games on October 29th and 30th.
They’ll close out the fall semester with home games against Sherbrooke, on November 13th and 14th.