(FREDERICTON, NB) After dropping the first two sets, the UNB REDS fought all the way back to take a thrilling 3-2 win over the Saint Mary's Huskies, in Atlantic University Sport women's volleyball, on Friday night.
"We realized how we play as a team and that we needed to step it up, play together and for each other," said REDS outside hitter Heather Benko (Sechelt, BC).
The REDS won with scores of 22-25, 14-25, 25-22, 25-23 and 19-17.
Benko led the REDS with 19 kills, 11 aces, 13 digs and 31 total points to earn Subway Player of the Game.
The REDS started hot, opening an early 7-1 lead in the first set on the back of four consecutive aces by Benko.
The Huskies would turn it around and find their groove quickly, taking seven of the next eight points to tie it 8-8.
The two teams split the next 20 points and found themselves tied 18-18.
The Huskies would take three straight points for their first lead of the match at 21-18, to which the REDS would respond by taking four of the next six to pull within one at 23-22.
That's as close as UNB would come as SMU took the next two to win the set 25-22 and take a 1-0 lead.
The Huskies would get out to the early lead in the second set, jumping ahead 9-3.
The REDS would keep pace through the middle of the set, but only put a small dent in the deficit to pull to 14-10.
SMU then rattled off five straight points to increase their lead to 19-10, putting the set out of reach for UNB, eventually taking it 25-14 to go up 2-0.
"They're a tough team. This is what all our matches are like against them," said REDS head coach Richard Schick.
The REDS would take the early advantage 7-3 in the third set.
The Huskies would respond with four of the next six points to cut UNB's lead to 9-7, to which the REDS would answer with four straight points to make it 13-7.
SMU would answer with four of the next five points to pull to 14-11 before the REDS scored eight of the next 11 to make it 22-14.
The Huskies continued to stay pesky, taking eight of the following 10 points to make it 24-22, before Benko would score a huge kill for the REDS to win the set 25-22 and make it a 2-1 game.
The two teams wrestled for control and found themselves tied 8-8 to begin the fourth.
The REDS then scored six of the next seven, four of which came from the hands of Bailey Lemieux (Fredericton, NB), to pull ahead 14-9.
SMU took seven of the next 10 to pull within one at 17-16, to which UNB responded accordingly with four straight points to make it 21-16.
The momentum continued to swing with the Huskies taking six of the next seven points to draw even at 22-22.
After the two teams split the next two points to make it 23-23, the REDS would take the final two, with another closing kill from Benko, to take the fourth set 25-23, tying the match 2-2.
The REDS started the fifth set with an early 9-5 lead and the Huskies answered with six of the next eight points to draw even at 11-11.
After trading the following four points, then a pair of match points, UNB would score three straight, the last a blazing kill by Lemieux that painted the back right corner of the Huskies court, SMU would commit a fatal attack error that gave UNB the 19-17 set win to complete the 3-2 comeback win.
Lemieux was great all night for UNB with 12 kills, six digs and 12.5 total points.
Olivia Bell (Lehave, NS) and Meghan Bruhm (Hubley, NS) led the Huskies with 17 kills apiece and 22.5 and 20.5 points respectively.
UNB improves to 3-2 with the win while SMU falls to 2-2.
These two teams meet again Saturday at UNB's Currie Center. Game time is 1:00pm.
RECAP BY: Jonathon James/for UNB Athletics
PHOTOS BY: Andy Campbell/UNB Athletics