Reds Add Atlantic Middles
(FREDERICTON, NB) Size and capability are key traits in the latest additions to the UNB Reds men’s volleyball team’s recruiting class of 2020.
Carson Harrison, a 6’8” middle from Port Williams, Nova Scotia, and Owen Mills, a 6’5” middle from Fredericton’s Ecolé Sainte-Anne, have signed U SPORTS Letters of Intent, and will join the Reds ahead of the 2020-21 RSEQ season.
Harrison is a three-year member of the varsity team at Horton High School, in Wolfville.
He spent 2018 and 2019 as a member of the Axe Volleyball Club before joining the Tigers club team in 2020.
“I was drawn to playing for the Reds because of the high level of play,” said Harrison. “They also strongly support academics, which will help me pursue my educational goals.”
“In the short term, I hope to take every opportunity I can to get better as a player,” he said. “Long term, I’m hoping to become an impact player that helps our team to be successful and push my teammates to get better.”
“Carson is relatively new to high performance volleyball, but has had great improvement in a relatively short period of time,” said Reds head coach Dan McMorran. “What he lacks, right now, in experience, he makes up with his athleticism and work ethic. He has the physical size and potential to become a significant player for our program, and will add stability to our middle position for several years.”
Harrison will enter UNB’s Faculty of Arts.
Mills, a three-year member of the varsity team at Ecolé Sainte-Anne, also boasts an impressive club and provincial team resume.
The middle was part of the Club Castors U16 team that finished third at the 2018 Volleyball New Brunswick championship, before joining the Spartans U18 team that won the 2019 VNB championship and earned the bronze medal at the 2020 provincial championship.
Mills is a veteran of two seasons with Team New Brunswick, including 2019, when he was the team captain and Team NB earned a second-place finish at Eastern Elites.
“For me, the most important thing was that the education I’d be getting was good,” said Mills. “I’ve been watching the Reds play for what feels like my whole life, so getting to play with them is really special.”
“I’m hoping to improve my skills as a player, but I’m also hoping to, in time, gain enough knowledge about the sport to be able to coach and give younger athletes a positive experience with volleyball.”
Mills will enter UNB’s Faculty of Engineering.
“Owen is a local athlete who has made steady progress on the provincial volleyball scene over the past few years,” said Coach McMorran. “He’s an excellent student and a hard worker, and with continued gains technically and physically, he’ll add more depth to our middle position.”