Bounce-back performance sees Dinos split with Cougars

REGINA – Anya Fehr dished out a game-high 38 assists to go with 10 digs, five aces, two blocks and six kills while hitting .455 to lead the Calgary Dinos women’s volleyball team to a 3-1 win over Regina Saturday afternoon from the Centre for Kinesiology, Health & Sport.

Three of the four sets were decided by just two points but the Dinos found a way in this one to earn the weekend split; 27-25, 23-25, 25-21, 25-23.

With the win, Calgary improves to 2-2 on the year, while Regina falls to 2-4.

Daisy Olsen led all players with 16 kills on the night to go with 10 digs. Sophia Hansen tallied 13 kills in the win to go with eight digs. Dominique Desautels finished one kill shy of a double-double with nine kills and 11 digs.

Evvia Belireau had a career-high 19 digs to lead all players.

Sam Silva had a nice night with six kills and zero errors on a .545 hitting clip, while chipping in with a pair of blocks and aces.

Devyn Grimsrud had a team-high 14 kills for the Cougars in the loss.

Calgary jumped out to a big 13-7 lead early in the opener, only to see Regina roar back and take a 23-22 lead late. With momentum and their home crowd against them, the Dinos dug deep and forced things to extras after a kill from Hansen, before a block from Desautels and Silva gave the Dinos the 26-25 lead before forcing a side out and the opening win.

An error by the Cougars gave Calgary a 21-17 lead late in the second, only to see the home squad once again get hot late and finish things off on an 8-2 run to even things up.

It was another game of runs in the third as the Dinos led 14-8, but this time they were able to hold Regina’s rally efforts at arm’s reach as back-to-back kills by Hansen finished things off.

Calgary carried leads of 12-4 and 19-14 in the fourth, only to see the Cougars take a 23-21 advantage late in what seemed destined for another five setter. The Dinos removed those thoughts and closed things out with a late 4-0 run of their own to clinch the win and move to .500 on the year.

Up next, the Dinos return to the Jack Simpson Gym for two Crowchild Classic battles as Mount Royal comes to campus, starting Friday at 6 p.m.

-UC-