WVB: Cougars sweep Pandas; securing gold-medal opportunity in U SPORTS women’s volleyball championship

Box Score

CALGARY, ALTA. – Haley Roe put together a double-double with 13 kills and 16 digs to power the Mount Royal Cougars to a 3-0 (25-21, 25-18, 26-24) win over the Alberta Pandas in a semi-final match at the U SPORTS Women’s Volleyball Championship on Friday from the Jack Simpson Gym. 

The Cougars never allowed the Pandas to find their rhythm offensively, as Alberta hit just .131 for the game, including a game-low .062 in the opening set, allowing Mount Royal to punch their ticket to the national finals. 

“I’m so proud of this team, the players, the coaching staff – we did such a great job supporting this team,”  Nataliia Klimenova, MRU’s player of the game said. “We came together as one unit and I’m so grateful and proud of our team.”

Quinn Pelland was a force for the Cougars, as she hit a team-high 0.455 while also contributing 19 digs, while Madison Marshall had 11 kills including the match clinching point in the third and final set. Kory White was the Pandas’ best offensive weapon in the match, putting up a double-double of her own with 12 kills and 11 digs. 

Mount Royal finished with an overall hitting percentage of 0.242, which included a game-high .333 in the opening set to set the tone in the match.

The Cougars advance to the National Championship game Sunday at 6 p.m., where they will take on the winner of the second semifinal match between the McGill Martlets and the Trinity Western Spartans. Alberta will take on the loser of the Martlets-Spartans contest at 3 p.m. Sunday for the bronze medal.  

“We knew we had to leave everything in the last set and on the court,” Klimenova said. “We exhaled everything on the court and the emotions of winning this game and beating our biggest rivals of the year is just amazing.” 

Mikasa Top Performers Presented by Team Nike
Mount Royal Cougars: #5 Nataliia Klimenova
Alberta Pandas: #8 Vanessa Jarman