Dalhousie's Vydykhan and UNB's Richard named Subway AUS Athletes of the Week

(HALIFAX, N.S.) Talia Vydykhan of the Dalhousie Tigers women's volleyball team and Samuel Richard of the UNB REDS men's hockey team have been named the Subway AUS Athletes of the Week for their respective performances for this past week.

FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Name: Talia Vydykhan
University: Dalhousie University
Sport: Women’s Volleyball
Position: Outside Hitter
Hometown: Hammonds Plains, N.S.
Year of eligibility: Second
Academic program: Therapeutic Recreation

Talia Vydykhan of the Dalhousie Tigers women’s volleyball team is the Subway Atlantic University Sport women’s athlete of the week for the week ending March 19, 2023.

Vydykhan helped lead the Tigers to a bronze medal finish at the 2023 U SPORTS Women’s Volleyball Championship over the weekend—the program’s first national medal since 1984.

She recorded seven kills, five digs, a block and an ace in the Tigers’ 3-0 win over the UQAM Citadins in quarter-final action. The next day, she added another five kills and six digs in their semifinal loss to the Trinity Western Spartans.

In Sunday’s bronze medal matchup, she had 17 kills, seven digs and four blocks in the Tigers’ 3-2 victory over the Manitoba Bisons to be named the Mikasa Player of the Game.

MALE ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Name: Samuel Richard
University: University of New Brunswick
Sport: Men’s Hockey
Position: Goaltender
Hometown: Sainte-Catherine, Que.
Year of eligibility: First
Academic program: Engineering

Samuel Richard of the UNB REDS men’s hockey team is the Subway Atlantic University Sport men’s athlete of the week for the week ending March 19, 2023.

A first-year goaltender from Sainte-Catherine, Que., Richard was named the tournament’s most valuable player at the 2023 U SPORTS men’s hockey University Cup this past weekend in Charlottetown, P.E.I.

He was in goal for UNB’s three wins at the national championship, posting a shutout in Sunday’s gold medal game. With the win, the REDS program captured their ninth national title.

Richard was also named a tournament all-star.

Before the national championship tournament began, Richard was named the rookie of the year in U SPORTS men’s hockey.