T-Birds drop 3-1 decision to open road series at MRU

The Cougars faced their toughest competition yet this season when the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds made the trip out to Kenyon Court and it was the hosts outlasting the visitors 3-1, (25-21, 25-22, 20-25, 25-19).

From the very first serve UBC brought the heat, with an intense rally to open the night and the energy continued through every touch. 

Neither team was willing to fold, throwing everything they could into every swing. Max Haronga made massive and repeated kills from the back row, alongside the sheer power coming from Chris Byam.  Byam ended the night with 19 kills to his name, while Haronga put down 12. 

The Cougars began to throw UBC off balance and left them scrambling to get into position. 

MRU brought a lead to two before forcing the Thunderbirds into their first time out. UBC still couldn’t find their footing coming back into play and called their second time out when the Cougars increased their lead to four, going into the final stretch of play up 23-19.

Michael Dowhaniuk (12 kills, eight digs, one ace) was a focus point for Mount Royal, constantly finding himself dealing with double and triple blocks. Instead, UBC went on to utilise Conaire Taub (12 kills, seven digs, one ace) off the bench.

The first set finally concluded when Byam got behind the ball and hammered it down into UBC defence and out, the Cougars taking it 25-21 and going up 1-0.

It wasn’t long into the second that the same pattern occurred. This game saw an assortment of free balls coming from each side as they tried to control pace. On UBC’s side, their success came from quick attacks on the right side and cheeky pushes over the block coming from the left. 

For Mount Royal, the majority of their success came with huge swings from the back row. Jackson Brennan also found himself back on the court and brought the consistency and precision this squad needed from a setter in order to reach their full offensive potential.

Jace Timmer was unbeatable on defence, the Thunderbirds struggling to pass the block. He finished the set with a kill coming off UBC hands and far out of bounds. 

The second was another tight contest, with MRU taking the set 25-22, bringing the match to 2-0 in their favour.

The third set went in favour of the Thunderbirds, holding a commanding lead for the majority of play. The men were able to keep the Cougars on their toes and almost play tricks throughout. It seemed as though MRU was unable to read what UBC was set to do next. 

Dowhaniuk shifted his approach from big swings to gentle pushes over the Cougar defence, finding the empty spaces on court. Nearing the end of the set MRU was able to catch on to this attack method, having Brennan guarding the space. UBC finally took the set 25-20.

MRU came back hard in the fourth, a strong 3-0 run to start play. The team was unstoppable, leading 17-10 before UBC was forced into their last time out of the set. Byam threaded his way through Thunderbird arms to find the back court and ignite the team’s energy. 

Play ended with Haronga attacking from the back and an unfortunate touch from UBC that allowed MRU to claim the victory.

Both teams are back tomorrow for a 6 p.m. PT. service in Kenyon Court. Catch the game live or on Canada West TV. 

MRU Player of the game: Jackson Brennan
UBC Player of the game: Conaire Taub