Cougars show off blocking skill but lose 0-3 to Thunderbirds

Following their 1-3 Friday night loss, the Cougars men’s volleyball team marched on to Kenyon Court looking for revenge against the UBC Thunderbirds. However, despite putting on an absolute block party that lasted all night long, MRU could not overcome the Thunderbirds, losing in three sets and conceding the weekend sweep (13-25, 15-25, 15-25).

UBC opened the first set with a 6-1 run, carrying over their energy from last night. MRU refused to go away, trading punches with the Thunderbirds and keeping the game close early in the set. However, UBC found their groove midway through the set and scored in bunches, eventually leading themselves to a 25-13 set victory. 

Ryan John led his team with three kills, showing off his ridiculous arm speed, and five other Cougars picked up at least one kill in the first set, but the Thunderbirds’ brilliant serving gave them an unmatchable edge as they scored 11 aces.

MRU came out with much more energy in the second set, starting with a 3-1 run. UBC responded to tie the game at four, but the scoreline stayed close for most of the first half of the set. Grant Hill was hot early, finding the occasional block and kill in the midst of his 14 assists. Jovan Stepanovic joined the hit party as he killed with remarkable efficiency to keep his team close, but soon, UBC opened up a four-point lead and forced Shawn Sky to call timeout. 

UBC scored almost immediately after retaking the court, forcing Sky to pull his second timeout. With a 9-3 run, UBC ended the set victorious by a 25-15 margin. Despite the deficit on the scoreboard, the Cougars were showing off their brilliant blocking abilities, rejecting eight Thunderbirds attacks through the first two sets.

The third set was a close affair, with the Cougars jumping out to an early 6-4 lead. Cody Hudson kept the block party alive as he rejected a Thunderbird attack attempt to force a UBC timeout soon after. Once again, UBC used long rallies to close the gap, soon enacting a 5-2 run and forcing Sky to use two timeouts in the process. 

After being assessed a red card, the Cougars used their frustrations as motivation, killing with ferocity to try and claw back into the game. The Thunderbirds remained composed though, maintaining their six-point lead as they traded kills with the Cougars. 

As the set entered crunch-time, UBC looked unstoppable as they dug, blocked and killed with ease on their way to a 25-15 set victory, sweeping the Cougars 3-0. Aidan Roberts took home Player of the Game honours, posting three block assists and three kills on a remarkable 42.9 per cent hit efficiency in his 4.5-point night.

The Cougars will look to end their losing streak as they travel to Winnipeg to face the University of Winnipeg Wesmen on Friday, Nov. 29 at 6:45 p.m. live on Canada West TV.