(HALIFAX, N.S.) As the 2022-23 AUS women’s volleyball campaign gets underway, coaches expect the UNB REDS to win the ever-tight race to the top.
The REDS earned 22 points and three first-place votes in the annual pre-season coaches' poll, voted on by the league's six head coaches. This week, coaches ranked all opponents one through five, with first-place votes earning five points, second-place four and so on. They were not permitted to vote for their own teams.
Under new head coach Richard Schick, last season UNB finished the regular season with an 8-6 record, entering the AUS playoffs in fourth place. After defeating the Moncton Aigles Bleues 3-0 in quarterfinal play, the REDS faced the Saint Mary’s Huskies in a marathon semi-final, losing 14-16 in a fifth set.
The perennial favourite Dalhousie Tigers are the coaches’ second pick this year, with 20 total points and one first-place vote. They finished in third place overall last season, thanks to a 9-5 record. In playoff mode, the Dal squad defeated Memorial in straight sets and then edged out the Acadia Axewomen 3-1 in semi-final action. Well-seasoned when it comes to championship series, the Tigers blanked the Saint Mary’s Huskies in two straight matches (3-1 and 3-0) to claim their ninth consecutive AUS title.
Closely behind their fellow 2022 finalists are the Saint Mary’s Huskies, with 19 points and one first-place vote. The Huskies led the pack in 2021-22, finishing the regular season with an 11-4 first place. The top spot earned them a bye to a single-game AUS semi-final, where they defeated the UNB REDS on Huskies home court. In the best-of-three final series, Saint Mary's couldn’t get past the repeat champion Tigers.
The 2022-2023 AUS women’s volleyball season starts tonight, October 28, when UNB visits Acadia, and cross-town rivals Dalhousie and Saint Mary’s face off on Tigers territory. First serve is at 7 p.m. at both gyms.
For the entire regular season schedule, click here.