MVB: Cougars Steal the Win over Huskies in Five Sets

CALGARY, AB – The U SPORTS fifth-ranked Saskatchewan Huskies men’s volleyball team fell 3-2 (25-18, 22-25, 25-21, 23-25, 15-10) to the sixth-ranked Mount Royal University Cougars in an error-filled match for both teams Friday night at Kenyon Court. 

THE HIGHLIGHTS

• Mount Royal’s attack could not be stopped despite the Huskies’ efforts in the first set. MRU looked unstoppable at first and comfortably took a 1-0 set lead. 

• Saskatchewan went to the drawing board for the second set and found some answers. Huskies outside hitter Jefferson Morrow found his stride on the attack and racked up the kills for Saskatchewan in the second. 

• MRU kept the set close, but after the Huskies pieced together an impressive run with Morrow serving powerfully, Saskatchewan would take the second set to tie things up at one-a-piece.

• The evenly matched teams would tightly battle it out into the third set. MRU looked slightly out of sync; however, the Huskies could not take full advantage. Each side was plagued by service errors, both long and in the net. 

• The Cougars were able to find their groove and take a 2-1 set lead, capped off by a strong hit by Luis Lange. 

• Determined not to go down without a fight, the Huskies upped their game once again in the fourth set with the game on the line. Although the Cougars registered 17 kills to Saskatchewan’s 13, service and attacking errors propelled the visiting Huskies to narrowly win the set and send the match to the deciding fifth.

• The Huskies and Cougars began the final set going shot for shot, both displaying a higher focus level. Mount Royal began to pull away, with Canada West’s kill leader Chris Byam taking control and leading MRU to victory. Byam finished with a game-high 18 kills. Isaiah Mamer led the way for Saskatchewan with 16 kills. 

THE STATS

• MRU’s Christopher Byam would lead the night in kills with 18. Isaiah Mamer would lead in kills for the Huskies, following close behind with 16. 

• Saskatchewan would have a total of 6.0 team blocks, and the Cougars would have 7.5.

• Max Haronga (MRU) and Christopher Byam (MRU) would lead in digs, putting up 8 balls each off of Huskie swings.

THE STANDINGS

Both teams have earned a place among the top 10 ranked teams in U Sports, the Huskies holding fourth place, with the Cougars not far behind in 6th. The loss will shift the Huskies’ record to 9-6, while the win improves the Cougars’ record to 10-5.

NEXT UP 

The Huskies and Cougars will go head-to-head once again Saturday evening at 7 p.m. from Kenyon Court. Tickets to the rematch can be purchased online and can be streamed live on Canada West TV.