Tigers get first win of the season over the UNB REDS

(FREDERICTON, NB) The Dalhousie Tigers picked up their first win of the RSEQ season as they defeated the UNB REDS 3-1 on Friday night.

The Tigers won with scores of 25-17, 17-25, 25-21 and 25-23.

Josh DeYoung (Halifax, NS) led the Tigers with 14 kills and six digs, while Michael Donovan (London, ON) and Lucas Coldon-Oldreive (Halifax, NS) each added 11 kills apiece.

Rafael Hilario (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) and Jacob Harris (Clarenville, NL) led the REDS with 15 kills each.

A handful of early attack errors for the REDS gave Dalhousie the early first set lead 5-1.

UNB would get their footing after a timeout and take nine of the next 15 points to pull within one at 11-10.

The Tigers would regain their lead, taking six of the following eight points to go up 17-12 and would maintain that spread to take the opening set 25-17 for a 1-0 lead.

The REDS would come out much better in the second set, opening a wide 12-4 lead that the Tigers could not surmount to cruise to a 25-17 set win to tie the game 1-1.

Dalhousie was able to bounce back and take an early 10-5 lead in the third set. 

UNB would keep pace, but still faced the same deficit late in the set at 21-16.

The REDS then rattled off four straight points to cut the Tigers' lead to 21-20.

That's as close as UNB would come though as Dal took four of the next five points to win the third set 25-21 for a 2-1 lead.

"We made far too many errors to win the match," said REDS coach Dan McMorran.

"Whether we were missing serves or it was unforced errors on offence, it was hard to get any sort of rhythm going."

The two teams would wrestle for the lead to start the fourth, finding themselves tied 9-9.

The Tigers would then score six of the next seven points to go up 15-10, to which the REDS answered with nine of the following 13 to tie the set 19-19.

After trading the next four points, Dalhousie would take the following two to go up 23-21 and wouldn't look back, getting the edge 25-23 in the set to take the match 3-1.

UNB is still searching for their first win at 0-5. 

Dalhousie get their first win of the season to move to 1-6.

These two teams meet again Saturday afternoon at UNB's Currie Center. Game time is 2:00pm.