MVB: Cougars sweep the Heat 3-0 with killer instinct and hustling defense

Box Score The Mount Royal University men’s volleyball team made quick work of the University of British Columbia Okanagan Heat, icing the game in three well-executed sets (25-18, 25-22, 27-25) on Saturday night on Kenyon Court.

The Cougars picked up right where they left off after Friday night’s victory, opening the first set with five unanswered points. The Heat did their best to respond, but the raw size and athleticism of the Cougars was too much for them to handle in the first part of this match. It also helped that the Cougars minimized their mistakes and played phenomenal defensive volleyball. Samson Olsen’s seven set assists helped Jacob van Geel, Luis Lange, Chris Byam, and Jovan Stepanvoic register a combined 11 kills to bring home a 25-18 first set victory.

The Heat could not handle the versatility of the Cougars in the second set, as Lange and Byam handled front line blocking with ease while Stepanvoic balanced crafty tips with athletic kills, scoring three kills. What truly separated the Cougars from the Heat was their defense and communication, led by Max Haronga. Even when the team was down 20-17, a quick timeout helped them regain composure as they proceeded to put on a 5-1 run, hustling to dig every potential Heat point off their floor and win the set 25-22.

The third set was a much closer affair as the Heat opened with a 4-1 run. The Cougars looked to rest on their laurels early, but turned up their energy late in the set as van Geel and Byam would both reach ten kills by the end of the set. Stepanvoic absolutely murdered a late ball that the Heat failed to block, keeping MRU in it. With the game tied at 25, the Cougars would need two consecutive scores to end the game early, and got that in the form of two serve errors from the Heat, giving the Cougars a 27-25 set victory and 3-0 match win. 

Luis Lange took home Cougar of the Game honours with his two kills, one set assist and errorless serving. 

The Mount Royal Cougars men’s volleyball team play at home again next week, this time matching up against the University of Alberta Golden Bears on November 3 at 6 p.m. on Kenyon Court.