REDS Take On Huskies
(FREDERICTON, NB) Finishing the Atlantic University Sport women’s volleyball regular season with a 10-10 record and in third place has earned the UNB REDS a semi-final match-up with the second place Saint Mary’s Huskies.
“They’re a strong, well-coached team which is well reflected in their regular season record,” said REDS head coach Lauren Hale-Miller. “While they took three of the four matches in regular season play, we showed our ability to compete with them, especially in our last match in January. We know this will be a competitive series, and we’re focused on executing our game plan at a high level.”
The Huskies went 14-6 during the regular season, including 3-1 against the REDS.
Saint Mary’s scored 3-1 and 3-2 victories over the REDS at the Currie Center in November. In Halifax, in January, the Huskies scored a 3-0 win before the REDS took a 3-2 win.
“Each time we face them, we push ourselves to get better, and it’s clear that we’re playing with more confidence each time,” said REDS’ libero Jenna Adams. “With each match, we’ve become more connected as a team and we’re trusting our process and game plan more than ever. We’ve worked hard to build consistency, and now we’re ready to take on the challenge and prove we can come out on top.”
The Huskies’ are led by AUS MVP Emilia Mikanovich, who led the conference with 3.39 kills per set during the regular season from the left side, and the conference’s Rookie of the Year, setter Grace Blaskovits.
The REDS will depend on Adams, named an AUS 2nd Team All-Star, along with hitter Heather Benko, and Lydia Green, named an AUS 1st Team All-Star.
“We’ll need to focus heavily on our first ball contact,” said Adams. “Getting consistent, high passes to our setter is key for running our offense efficiently. SMU is a very offensive team with some big hitters, so one of our priorities will be digging those hard hits and transitioning them back with a hit of our own. Our ability to stay composed, execute good first contacts, and transition from defense to offense will be important.”
The best-of-three series begins Saturday night in Halifax. First serve is scheduled for 7:00pm.
Match two will go Sunday, also at 7:00pm. If a deciding match is necessary, that will go Monday night at 7:00pm.
“It’s going to come down to consistency, discipline and staying locked in on our identity as a team,” said Coach Hale-Miller. “We need to serve tough and pass well to control the tempo, play strong defensively and make smart, aggressive decisions offensively. This group has worked hard all season to put themselves in this position, and now it’s about trusting our preparation and competing with confidence.”
STORY BY: Andy Campbell/UNB Athletics
FILE PHOTO BY: James West/for UNB Athletics