CALGARY – The University of Calgary Dinos men’s volleyball team powered to a 3-1 victory (25-17, 25-17, 23-25, 25-14) over the UBC Okanagan Heat on Friday night in front of over 1,100 fans during the annual Block Party at the Jack Simpson Gym.
Louis Kunstmann was one of three Dinos with double-digit kills on the night with 14 and a commanding presence at the net. He was supported by standout performances from Tyler Funk and Max Penner, who combined for key blocks and timely kills. Setter Zack Durrant played a pivotal role, racking up 37 assists to go with seven digs.
Seba Manuel led the way for UBCO with 11 kills on the night.
The Dinos came out firing in the first set, quickly using the loud crowd to help build momentum behind strong serving and a series of UBCO errors. Funk and Kunstmann capitalized on free balls, while Penner’s blocking stifled UBCO’s attackers. Calgary cruised to a 25-17 win in the opener.
Calgary rolled early in the second only to see UBCO start to gain some traction of their own, with maneul and Ashton South finding some rhythm in helping the Heat mount a rally effort. With the Dinos leading 20-12, kills from Rory O’Brien and Thys Weststrate closed the gap to 23-17. But a big block from Kunstmann and Penner doused the comeback effort and gave Calgary the 2-0 lead.
UBCO bounced back in the third set, with Zach van Geel’s setting sparking a more cohesive attack. Jack Taylor and Weststrate delivered key kills, while Calgary’s errors at the service line allowed UBCO to gain traction. Despite a late push from Calgary, UBCO held on to take the set, 25-23.
It was all Dinos in the fourth, as they jumped out to a 9-0 lead and never looked back. Rookie Sam Kay delivered the knockout kill to secure the 25-14 set victory and a 3-1 match win.
Calgary head coach Graham Vigrass credited his team’s focus, saying, “We were sharp in the first two sets, a bit flat in the third, but responded well. In the fourth, our focus grew, and the 9-0 run wasn’t just about concentration—sometimes, luck goes a long way.”
Calgary now improves to 4-5 on the season, while UBCO fell for just the third time all year to move to 6-3. The two teams are back at it tomorrow afternoon at The Jack for a 4 p.m. first serve.