V-Reds add ESA v'baller for next year

Head coach Dan McMorran was looking for a outside hitter for his men's volleyball team at the University of New Brunswick.

He didn't have to go far to find one.

Marc White, named Volleyball New Brunswick's athlete of the year in 2008, has committed to the Varsity Reds for next season, says McMorran.

White, a 6'2'' outside hitter, has been a mainstay with the Ecole Sainte-Anne Castors in provincial high school boys volleyball for a couple of seasons.

He's also established solid credentials playing for provincial teams. Last summer, he was part of the provincial indoor contingent at the Canada Summer Games and finished third at the 19 and under world beach qualifier in Toronto. He was the MVP of the 18U provincial championships put on by Volleyball New Brunswick where his team won the tournament and will represent N.B. at the nationals slated for Abbotsford, B.C. in May.

"He's a tremendous addition to our program,'' said McMorran, who led UNB to a second-place finish behind perennial champion Dalhousie Tigers last season. "He's by far the top volleyball player coming out of the Maritimes this year, and one of the best in this year's recruiting class across the country.''

McMorran says he expects White to make a seamless transition to the university level.

"He's worked hard at this physical conditioning which will help him make the transition to the much faster and powerful CIS game,'' he said.

The UNB coach said that White was being heavily recruited by the reigning CCAA champions, Limoilou Titans out of Quebec City, which is a direct pipeline to the Universite de Laval, which operates a perennial national contending program in the CIS.