V-Reds make Hay

The UNB Varsity Reds made plenty of hay for the St. Francis Xavier X-Women in round-robin action at the UNB Women's Volleyball Invitational last night.

Erica Hay (Sussex, NB), who is back with the Varsity Reds for a fifth year of eligibility after spending all of last season working as a nurse at the Dr. Everett Chalmers Hospital, showed flashes of her former self against the X-Women, registering a couple of massive kills from the left side to go with some solid passing, as the Reds won their second game on the day with a four-set victory. Scores were 25-16, 22-25, 25-21 and 25-23.

Earlier in the day, the Reds beat the Cape Breton Capers three sets to one (25-20, 24-26, 34-32, 25-15)

"Playing two games in one day takes a lot of energy especially at the age I am, but we battled through and toughed it out today and I felt good out there," said Hay, a two-time Atlantic University Sport all-star in her first stint with the Reds. "It just feels awesome to be back. I am really glad I made the decision."

The Reds cruised to an easy win in the first set last night, one punctuated by a Jill Blanchard kill down the middle that no St. FX player really had much of a chance of touching.

In the second set, the Reds appeared to be on their way to doing it again, starting off on a 9-5 run and carrying a 16-14 advantage into the second technical time out, but the X-Women fought back to tie it at 20 before getting two huge blocks from Michaela Vorlova and Heather Isenor to take the set.

"They are a good team and they know how to jump on teams when they get a little sluggish, and we certainly were sluggish in that set," said Hay. "It was a late game and we were a bit sloppy and it cost us. Hopefully (today) we will be able to find a little more energy and fire."

They may have actually found that fire in the later stages last night.

At least Rebecca Glancy (Toronto, ON) did.

After taking the third set 25-21, the Varsity Reds were doing their best to prevent the X-Women from forcing a fifth and deciding set when Glancy dug deep, hitting a cross-court shot to bring up game point, then spiking the ball in bounds in the back corner for the win.

"She is just a steady, steady player," UNB head coach John Richard said. "She is never way up and she is never way down. She plays two or three different positions for us and obviously tonight she had a good game."

The V-Reds return to action today with a 1 p.m. game against the Universite de Moncton and a 7 p.m. tilt against Acadia University.

"We definitely have to find some energy," Richard said.

"Moncton plays really passionate volleyball with a whole lot of emotion and we have to match that because we didn't play with a whole lot of energy today."

In other opening day matches, Moncton beat St. FX 3-1 (25-22, 27-25, 16-25, 25-23) but lost the nightcap to Acadia (25-19, 25-15, 25-18). Cape Breton had swept Acadia earlier, winning 25-18, 25-16, 25-22.

The semifinals are set for 10 a.m. and noon Sunday, with the final at 2 p.m. All action is at the UNB main gym.