Carabins Down REDS

(FREDERICTON, NB) The visiting Université de Montreal Carabins swept their weekend series against the UNB REDS with a 3-0 win on Saturday afternoon.

The Carabins won with scores of 28-26, 25-18 and 25-17.

Leading Montreal was Alexis Tournier (Gatineau, QC) with 13 kills, while Guillaume Bisson (Royun-Noranda, QC) and Nidhal Redene (Kelibia, TUN) each added 10 and Yassine Kassis (Sfax, TUN) had a game-high 11 digs.

Eduardo Luchese (Rio Grande du Sul, Brazil) had another great game in a losing effort for UNB with 17 kills and three digs, while Bradley Merryweather (New Maryland, NB) had 27 assists.

The match was played to 213 fully-vaccinated fans at UNB's Currie Center.

Merryweather thought his team came with a better game today despite the score.

"I think our second day was better, we executed better, but we still lacked along the stretch. It's a part of the maturing process," he said. "We need to start executing later in the sets because we are always in them."

Both teams traded the first 16 points back and forth to start out tied 8-8 in the first set. 

The REDS would grab a slight advantage over the next few serves 15-12, before Montreal fought back to knot it once again 18-18. 

A huge block from Merryweather appeared to have the REDS closing in on a 1-0 lead at 22-20, but another resilient push from Montreal's side forced the REDS to deuce three times before finally gaining the extra point advantage to take it 28-26 and the 1-0 lead.

The REDS jumped out to a 6-2 lead early in the second set, but it would be yet another that Montreal would slowly eat away at and even 16-16.

The Carabins would further that momentum, ending the second set on a 9-2 run to take a 2-0 lead in the match 25-18.

A similar pattern would repeat as Montreal would take a third straight set 25-17 to win the match.

"They are all really mature. They execute when they need to and they play level headed the whole game," said Merryweather. "It's something that we should look at and try and take [away from playing them]."

Montreal is now 2-1, while the REDS drop to 1-3.

The Carabins head home to host the first of two games against the Dalhousie Tigers on Friday. UNB heads to Laval next Friday to start a series with the Rouge et Or. First game is at 8:30pm Atlantic time.

RECAP BY: Jonathon James/for UNB Athletics

PHOTOS BY: Fran Harris/for UNB Athletics