WVB: Cougars blow out Pandas in fourth set and take home 3-1 victory

The Mount Royal Cougars women’s volleyball team took home a dominant 3-1 win against the University of Alberta Pandas on Kenyon Court (21-25, 26-24, 25-20, 25-10).

The Cougars set the tone for the game early, as their hustle to dig out Panda kill attempts kept the first set extremely close. Serve and kill errors plagued their offense though, while the Pandas had their best services of the night and took the set 25-21.

The second set got off to the same tightly-contested start as the first, but this time, Bronwynn Davies-Neir took the defensive responsibility on her shoulders and picked up some solid blocks. She also chipped in four kills to match Jessica Oscevsky and support Emma Boyd, who had five kills by the end of the Cougars’ 26-24 set win. The Cougars ended the set with nine more digs and twice as many blocks, proving the value of their size and defensive prowess.

The trumpets and drums came out in full swing as the fans hoped to give the girls momentum in the third set. Defense was the Cougars’ calling card as their elite blocking and digging stifled the Pandas and allowed Boyd to carry the offensive load. Oscevsky ended the set with back-to-back kills as the Cougars would win it 25-20.

The fourth and final set was where the Cougars hustled most, as Megan Jones dove on the floor for digs and still managed to set the ball perfectly for easy Cougar kills. They reaped the rewards of their phenomenal effort as Jones and Boyd took over the game with their killing and blocking. The Pandas were left searching for answers as they made two straight errors on kills that gave the Cougars a crushing 25-10 set win and a dominant 3-1 match victory.

Cougar of the Game honours went to Megan Jones, who contributed all night but was most impactful in the final set with her hustling defense and powerful kills on offense.

The Cougars rematch against the Pandas tomorrow on Kenyon Court at 5 P.M. MST as they look to go on a 2-game win streak.