UNB Reds top SMU 3-1

(FREDERICTON, NB) The UNB Reds rode the power game of fifth-year hitter Siobhan Fitzpatrick (Kelowna, BC) to a 3-1 win over the visiting Saint Mary's Huskies on Saturday.

Fitzpatrick registered a match-high 18 kills to lead the Reds. She also had 12 digs.  The Reds won with scores of 25-21, 25-17, 26-28 and 27-25.

Second-year Reds setter Paige Lehto (North Vancouver, BC) had 44 serve assists to earn Subway Player of the Game honours.

The Reds established a quick tempo early in the first set, building an 8-3 lead and forcing the Huskies to call time out.  UNB led 16-6 at the technical time out, but Saint Mary's rallied to within five before the home team won the first set 25-21.

A pair of Adora Rooyakkers (Port Hawkesbury, NS) kills broke a 7-7 tie as the Reds went up 9-7. A 3-0 UNB run pushed that lead to 12-8, and the hosts led 16-11 at the time out, on route to the 25-17 win.

The Huskies showed signs of life in the third set.

While UNB led 16-9 at the time out, Saint Mary's roared back and took the third set 27-25.

The Huskies used their momentum to build an early 9-3 lead in the fourth set. At the time out, Saint Mary's led 16-7 and were poised to force a deciding set.

Megan Kuciak (Ottawa, ON) scored on a big kill coming out of the break, and Kristen Burns (Mississauga, ON) followed with a big block to pull the Reds within seven. A Fitzpatrick kill tied the set 18-18, and the teams were tied again at 20, 22, 23 and 25. Another Fitzpatrick kill put UNB up 26-25 and a Lehto block sealed the 27-25 win.

Renee Cleveland (Saint-Martin, NS) led the Huskies with 18 digs, while Bethany Smith (Moncton, NB) had 14 kills.

The Huskies host the Reds in a re-match on Friday, at 7:00pm.

RECAP BY: Andy Campbell/UNB Athletics

PHOTOS BY: James West/for UNB Athletics