Dinos bounce back to end 2022 on high note

CALGARY – The University of Calgary men’s volleyball team defeated the Thompson Rivers University WolfPack Saturday night at the Jack Simpson Gym, 3-1. After losing Friday night’s game, Calgary came back and put together a strong performance, earning the win, 25-23, 25-23, 21-25, 25-22. 

Zach Evans, the Dinos second-year outside hitter who led the way for the Dinos with 14 kills, spoke about his team’s mentality during tonight’s game.

“During a long game like that, mindset is the most important part of it. When it’s a really close game with a lot of competition, you have to stay focused. You can’t let the small mistakes get on you – you just go point by point and you don’t look back. You just keep going forward and you keep that momentum going.”

In another very competitive game, the two teams picked up right where they left off Friday, trading punches the entire first set. With TRU up late in the set 19-18, Dinos second-year Erik Godwin – who had 14 kills of his own – came up with a huge block to tie the game. Godwin rose up alongside template Jackson Meier – who finished with a game-high five blocks – to stuff TRU, igniting the Calgary crowd. After a few costly errors by the WolfPack, Evans left nothing to chance, pounding the final point into the ground with emphasis as the Dinos won the set 25-23.

The Dinos would go on to win the second set with an identical score as the first, 25-23. Calgary coach Rod Durrant made a critical decision with the score tied at 23, subbing in 6 ‘5 setter Anders Bouck for the shorter starter Zack Durrant (42 assists). Bouck stepped up big time, getting involved in a block that led to the Dinos point and helping them win the set.

Calgary was once again leading deep into the third set, 17-15. Friday’s standout out performer for the WolfPack, Rylan Ibbetson made an intelligent play, setting the ball perfectly to Calgary’s back line. All the Dinos could do was watch as the ball dotted the back line. This gave TRU the momentum they needed and they would finish the set strong, winning 25-21.

Just as Zach Evans talked about post game, the Dinos stayed sharp mentally as the game continued late into the night. The Dinos and the WolfPack traded blows throughout the set, seeing the Dinos up 23-21 late. A huge kill from fourth-year Lincoln Baines pushed things to set point, before Calgary closed out the big home win.

TRU falls back to .500 at 6-6 overall on the season at the winter break.

With the win, Calgary improved to 4-8 on the season. Despite battling a slew of key injuries at various points so far this season, Evans talked about the optimism around the team heading into the break.

“I think the expectation coming back in January is to keep pushing hard. We did have a really hard start to the season, absolutely. However, I think we’ve grown as a team. We’ve become more comfortable and we’re really starting to get our flow on and I think there is nothing but success in the future.”

As Saturday’s game marked the final game of the 2022 calendar year, the league will have a one month hiatus and return in January 2023. The Dinos will be on the road in their first games back, taking on the Fraser Valley Cascades (2-10) at the UFV Athletic Centre. Game one takes place Friday Jan 6th and will begin at 9 p.m. MT. TRU will have a slightly more extended break as their season resumes Friday Jan 13th. The WolfPack will be back in Calgary, this time to face the MRU Cougars (8-3). Game one begins at 5 p.m. MT

-UC-