Cougars win three straight sets for huge victory over Pandas

EDMONTON – The Mount Royal Cougars finished the Canada West regular season strong with a five-set (23-25, 21-25, 25-14, 25-23, 15-12) reverse sweep thriller over the Alberta Pandas Saturday evening at the Saville Centre.

The loss leaves the Pandas with a final record of 16-2, good for a division title and #2 USPORTS national ranking.

For the #5 ranked Cougs, they round off the regular season at 14-4 and a second-place position in the Central.

While the Pandas finish off a phenomenal CW campaign, the Cougars have clearly been a thorn on their side losing both games to the talented squad from Calgary.

Madison Marshall led the Cougs with 19 kills and Quinn Pelland finished with 54 assists in a good offensive showing for Mount Royal.

Lauryn Tremblay played her best volleyball of the season for the Pandas, finishing with a game-high 21 kills.

The Pandas controlled the majority of the first set with efficient attacking and stout defence at the net. Combined with some early Cougars errors, they were in the driver’s seat until a five-point MRU run that put the score at 24-23 for Alberta. Setter Justine Kolody tee’d up a massive smash for rookie Meghan John that won the set for the Pandas 25-23.

Both teams finished the first set with a hitting percentage of .333 in what was a very entertaining frame.

The second set was another back-and-forth affair, with the Cougar attack outplaying their Alberta counterparts. However, Alberta would record an incredible six service aces in the set to win 25-21. Mount Royal’s Madison Marshall had a strong frame, recording a set-high four kills. Lauren Tremblay was the standout for the Pandas, hitting three kills to go along with two aces.

Fifth-year setter Quinn Pelland orchestrated a remarkable run to begin the third for the Cougars, heading into the media timeout up 16-6. Marshall would help take them the rest of the way, the set going to the Cougars 25-14.

You would be hard pressed to find a more entertaining set in the season for both squads than the fourth in this game. Long rallies punctuated by strong attacks led to the energy in the Saville Centre rising to a boil. The lead went back and forth, with graduating fifth-year Erin Corbett impressing for the Pandas, and Jessica Osczevski responding in kind for Mount Royal.

With the score knotted at 23, the Cougars would reel off two straight points for the set win and continuation of the game.

Would it be anything but a close last set? Both teams inched forward, changing the lead a dozen times before Nyadholi Thokboum crushed home two straight kills and a victory for Mount Royal.

It was senior appreciation night at the Saville, with graduating players Julia Zonneveld, Kory White, Corbett, Jenae Eisler, and Vanessa Jarman getting honoured pre-game.

Alberta hosts Pool B CW playoffs action next week starting Thursday. They will face the UBC Thunderbirds (9-7), Winnipeg Wesmen (6-10), and the Regina Cougars (5-11).

The Cougars are off to Saskatoon to play hosts Saskatchewan (14-2), the UBCO Heat (8-8), and the Manitoba Bisons (6-10).