MVB: Cougars secure fourth consecutive victory as Byam reaches 1000 regular-season kills

Box Score
The Mount Royal University Cougars (7-4) men’s volleyball team extended their win streak to four games as they completed their weekend sweep of the MacEwan University Griffins (0-11) with a four-set victory (25-20, 20-25, 25-19, 25-12)

Chris Byam was teeming with tenacity as he entered the game only 13 regular-season kills away from 1000 for his career, and it was clear at the start of the first set that his teammates intended to help him get that record. Byam scored five kills on his team’s first 15 points, helping MRU to a kill efficiency rate of 46.2 per cent on their way to a 25-20 victory in the opening set.

The Cougars relaxed in the second set and allowed the Griffins to have their best attack of the night, scoring 13 kills in the second set on just four errors. Mount Royal struggled with only nine kills and because of their nine errors, the Griffins secured a 25-20 victory in the second set.

The Cougars went back to making Byam the target of their set passes as he earned the first kill of the third set for his team. Max Haronga’s defensive efforts could not be overstated, as his cat-like reflexes helped him make safe serve receptions that he turned into blazing kills. Byam soared through the stratosphere to send his 1000th career regular-season kill into the Griffins’ half. MRU capitalized on the positive energy and closed the set on a 6-2 run to win it 25-19.

The fourth and final set was MRU’s strongest showing of the night, outnumbering GMU’s five kills on seven errors with 17 of their own on only two errors. Byam’s ability to end long rallies consistently with uber-aggressive kills helped them get off to a 13-5 start, forcing a timeout out of the Griffins. It was nothing doing though, as the Cougars even got contributions from rookies Cody Hudson and Ryan John. who each picked up a kill on MRU’s 12-7 closing run. The Cougars won in dominant fashion, taking the final set 25-12 and the match 3-1.

Cougar of the Game honours went to Jovan Stepanovic, who chipped in three kills, one assist, and one block on his team’s way to their fourth consecutive win.

The Mount Royal University Cougars men’s volleyball team will face the Trinity Western University Spartans on January 5, 2024.