V-Reds off to national volleyball tourneys

John Richard's University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds are in as the sixth seed heading into the CIS women's volleyball championship beginning Friday in Quebec City.

The V-Reds, winners of the Atlantic Conference title for the second time in four years, finished 11-7 during the regular season before knocking off Dalhousie Tigers 3-1 and top seed Saint Mary's Huskies 3-0 at the AUS tournament held in Cape Breton.

Three-time defending national champion University of British Columbia Thunderbirds, 15-3 during the regular season in Canada West, goes in as the top seed followed by Canada West runnerup Trinity Western of Langley, B.C.

Quebec champion Laval Rouge et Or of Quebec City is third seed followed in order by Alberta Pandas, third in Canada West, Montreal Carabins, second in Quebec, UNB, Western Ontario Mustangs, Ontario champion, and Sherbrooke Vert & Or, third in Quebec.

UNB leaves via bus on Wednesday morning. The awards banquet is scheduled that evening at Laval University. Thursday is practice day with first-round action pitting UBC vs. Sherbrooke, Alberta vs. Montreal, Trinity West vs. Western Ontario and UNB playing Laval at 9 p.m. on Friday.

Consolation semifinals and championship semifinals are Saturday with the fifth place game at noon, the third place game at 2 and the national at 5:30 on Sunday.

The Dan McMorran-coached V-Reds men's team, which won its first Atlantic Conference title since 1979 when they swept Dalhousie Tigers 3-2 and 3-2 in the best-of-three AUS final, are seeded seventh heading into the CIS men's volleyball championship slated for Trinity Western University in Langley, B.C. beginning with first-round play on Friday.

Top seed is defending national champion Calgary Dinos, Canada West champions. Quebec champion Laval Rouge et Or who finished 17-0 during the regular season, is second seed followed by Canada West runnerup Brandon, Man. Bobcats. Trinity Western, third in Canada West, is the fourth seed followed by Alberta Golden Bears, fourth in Canada West with a 17-1 regular season mark. Ontario champion McMaster Marauders of Hamilton are the sixth seed followed by UNB, which finished 11-6 during the regular schedule before beating Dal, and eighth seed Sherbrooke Vert & Or, runnerup in Quebec, with a 9-8 regular season mark.

The V-Reds departed Halifax Airport for Langley on Monday. Wednesday is awards night at Trinity Western with Thursday being a practice day. First-round games Friday pit Laval against UNB in the first game at 5 p.m. AT followed by Brandon vs. McMaster, Trinity Western playing Alberta and Calgary taking on Sherbrooke.

Consolation and championship semifinals are Saturday with the consolation final at 4 p.m. Sunday. The bronze medal game goes at 7 followed by the gold medal game at 10 p.m. All times are Atlantic.