UNB volleyball's daily double

CIS | While Jill Blanchard is with the women's team in Quebec, brother Kyle is with the men's team in B.C.

Jill Blanchard says "it's been a pretty great five years," with the University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds women's volleyball team.

The best may be yet to come.

The 22 year-old multi-tasker - she's played left side, right side and even some libero this season - and her V-Reds teammates enter the Canadian Interuniversity Sport championship tournament in Quebec City as the sixth seed in the eight-team field.

And while they'll be long shots in their quarter-final matchup against the Quebec champion and tournament host Laval Rouge et Or when they meet tomorrow night at 9 p.m. Atlantic, Blanchard - and her younger brother Kyle, for that matter - have already demonstrated that anything is possible.

Consider that both were key players in a unique daily double at UNB - his and her Atlantic University Sport championships, won within hours of one another, on the road. Kyle and the V-Reds men's squad left Monday for Langley, B.C. and the CIS men's championship tournament at Trinity Western University. The V-Reds men's squad also faces Laval, Friday afternoon.

While it's a tall order for both teams as they challenge the Quebec Conference champs at their respective tournaments, Jill says the events of a couple of weeks ago are a source of pride for her entire family.

The dual success created a bit of a dilemma for the Blanchard family: mom Cathy will be in the stands watching Jill Friday night in Quebec City, while dad Carl went west to watch Kyle.

"I think they did it with a coin flip," she said. "It was tough for them to choose. I told both of them to go to B.C. because B.C. is gorgeous and men's volleyball is really fast. But I know they wanted to see me in my last nationals, too. Having parents who have been there the entire five years has been unbelievable...I think in my five years, they might have missed a handful of games."

Both were in Cape Breton to watch her win MVP honours and UNB win the AUS banner a couple of weeks ago. In so doing, they missed a bit of history as Kyle and the V-Reds men knocked off Dalhousie Tigers in straight sets to capture the first volleyball championship by a UNB men's team since 1978-79.

"It's amazing to have Kyle and I both win a banner on the same day," she said. "I'm so proud of him. He's had such a stellar season. As a new libero to get libero of the year (in the Atlantic Conference) his first year in...it's a pretty big deal."

Jill, of course, is pretty accomplished in her own right. She was a first-team AUS all-star this season, most valuable player at the AUS championship tournament in Cape Breton, and was named a second-team all-Canadian at last night's CIS awards banquet, the cherry on the top of a fine five-year career at UNB. Or that may come Friday if the V-Reds can slay the Rouge et Or dragon right in their own gym.

Sixth seed in the tourney represents a step forward for the Atlantic Conference, traditionally listed seventh or eighth in the volleyball pecking order, traditionally ruled by Canada West squads. It's a tradition that continues this season with the three-time reigning champion University of British Columbia Thunderbirds in pursuit of a fourth straight title - a reign that started here, when UNB hosted the tournament for two straight years in 2007-08.

Sixth seed "was a huge deal when we found that out," said Blanchard. "We're all really excited about it, and hoping to go up there and show everybody what we're made of."

"I was really happy with it," said coach John Richard. "Six, seven or eight, we could have been anywhere in there. I think it shows respect for the Atlantic Conference. Lots of teams in our Conference went to Ontario and had success this year. Obviously that helped us get ahead of the Ontario champion. Saint Mary's was ranked ninth in the country most of the second half and for us to beat them and beat them the way we did spoke to our seed as well."

While the V-Reds will be the enemy in a raucous arena on opening night, they have one advantage in having seen Laval in interlocking play. They lost the match 3-1 on set scores of 21-25, 25-23,25-16,25-21.

"There's no fear of the unknown," said Richard. "It defines how painful it could be for us if we don't show up with one of our best matches of the year."

Richard recalls the November 19 meeting as "a somewhat tight match. We played pretty well, and didn't have Tanya Paulin at the time,"

Paulin, the team's six-foot-two, middle player, missed the first half recovering from off season surgery.

That match was in Sherbrooke though.

"Having seen them before helps quite a bit," said Blanchard, a six-foot-one Saint John native who will leave the school with a degree in biochemistry in a couple of months. "We're just going to go out and try to leave it all on the floor,"

"Playing Laval at Laval will be special," said Richard. "It will be great atmosphere, a great environment to play in. Our girls are looking forward to it for sure. Our fourth and fifth year players have been to two of them (CIS tourneys) and our thirds have been to one of them. We'll lean on that experience for sure."

For Blanchard, it will be among her last matches in red and black.

"I can't believe it's been five years," she said. "It's kind of sad spending that much time with a team and seeing it grow and develop over the years and then having to leave. It's a little sad, a little bittersweet."

Blanchard said the highlights are numerous: "getting to nationals already, winning two AUS banners, getting a chance with the national team...it's been a pretty great five years."

With the potential of more to come.

"She had one of her best matches in the final against Saint Mary's," said Richard. "She's gotten better every year here and gotten better as the season progressed this year. We play a lot better when she serve receives well. A lot of people look at her as a person who can score and block and serve, and I do as well. But for me, a big piece, especially at this level, is how good our ball control is and how good she is on first contact. We'll expect her to come up with one of her best performances for sure."

Depth, as it has all season for the V-Reds, will come into play on the weekend as well.

"We'll have to lean on our depth for sure," he said. "I think we're in a good frame of mind. We're looking to at least get a match here."

UBC returns as the favourite. Canada West rival Trinity Western, which led UBC 2-1 in the Canada West final before letting it get away on a 16-14 loss in the rubber match, is seeded second. Laval, listed third, is in the front rank too, unless the V-Reds can upset the script, with Alberta and the Montreal Carabins fourth and fifth. UBC, Ontario champion Western Mustangs of London, Ont., and University of Sherbrooke round out the field.

Blanchard may complete her UNB career, but volleyball won't stop. She's going to an Eastern Canadian tryout for the national indoor team later this month, and hopefully to a national team tryout in May. Med school may be in her future.