Laval Downs Reds

(FREDERICTON, NB) l'Universite de Laval Rouge et Or improved to a perfect 5-0 on the season with a straight sets victory over the UNB Reds on Friday.

Laval won with scores of 25-18, 25-21, and 25-19.

UNB's record drops to 2-3.

This was the first of back-to-back games between the two teams.

UNB kept it close early, but Laval would pull away to take the first set 25-18.

The Reds would keep pace longer in the second set, but would come up short again 25-21.

"We thought we matched up very well," said Reds hitter Connor McConnell (Hanwell, NB). "Laval's a pretty good team, but we trust the guys that we have, and we trust what we can do. Obviously, we didn't play the way we can so we're going to try and bring that A-game tomorrow."

Laval would start the third set up 10-5 and wouldn't look back to take the match.

Laval's offence was too much for the Reds as they had 44 kills to UNB's 30.

"They were a bit more efficient than us in certain areas," said McConnell. "They went on a couple runs and that's what ended up putting them ahead in the late stages of the game. So that's what we've got to figure out, is to stop those runs and go on runs ourselves."

Alexandre Obomsawin (Gatineau, QC) had 17 kills and four digs for Laval, while Vincente P. Villalobos (Santiago, Chile) had 16 kills and four digs.

McConnell had 12 kills for the Reds, while Eduardo Luchese (Bento Goncalves, Brazil) had 10 and Nick Glynn (Fredericton, NB) added nine digs.

The two teams face each other again Saturday afternoon. Game time is 2:30pm.

RECAP BY: Jonathon James, for UNB Athletics

PHOTOS BY: James West, for UNB Athletics