Bears fall in five to MRU, have 19-game win streak snapped

EDMONTON – Snapping two lengthy Alberta win streaks, the U SPORTS No. 5 ranked Mount Royal Cougars stunned the top-ranked Golden Bears, erasing a 2-0 deficit in a thrilling 3-2 road win on Friday night at Saville Community Sports Centre.
 
The win for MRU (15-4) is their first over Alberta (19-2) since 2019, ending a 10-match Bears win streak. It also ended the Bears 19-game conference win streak that began in October.
 
Chris Byam led the Cougars with a game-high 23 kills, in a match that was incredibly close from start to finish. MRU led the kill battle 59-55, and narrowly edged Alberta in aces (5-3). Jacob Van Geel also added 14 kills for the Cougars, with setter Jackson Brennan recording a match-high 51 assists.
 
Jordan Canham led Alberta with 17 kills, but also committed seven errors in a shaky performance. Billy Johnstone added 13 kills, and Isaac Heslinga 12 for Alberta.
 
Alberta opened the match with a clean first set, finishing with just three attack errors, and three service errors. The Cougars coughed up six attack and a staggering nine service errors in first.
 
The Bears turned in an even more efficient second, recording just one attack error on 23 attempts. Johnstone led the way with seven kills, no errors, on just 10 attempts through two sets for the Bears.
 
The Cougars, meanwhile, were still looking to find their rhythm, recording nine errors on 72 attempts, committing 16 service errors through two.
 
Byam started to heat up in the third, recording five of the Cougars nine kills in the set. In a mirror image to the first two sets, Alberta was plagued by sloppy play in the third, recording seven service errors and five attack errors in third.
 
MRU turned in an incredibly efficient fourth, finding the floor on 13 of their 32 attempts, with just one attack error. The visitors ripped home three aces in a 25-22 fourth set win.
 
Fully controlling the momentum, MRU took the fifth 15-10 in a set Alberta never felt a part of. A kill from Luis Lange clinched the win for the Cougars.
 
The two nationally ranked squads will meet again tomorrow at 5:00 p.m. at Saville Community Sports Centre.