CALGARY – For the third time in two weeks, the Mount Royal Cougars got the better of their crosstown rival.
The No. 8 seeded Mount Royal Cougars defeated the No. 9 seed University of Calgary Dinos men's volleyball team 3-1 (20-25, 25-16, 20-25, 20-25) in Game 1 of their Canada West play-in series Thursday night at Kenyon Court.
First-year outside hitter Kale Orr led the way for the Cougars. The conference's third-leading scorer in the regular season with 259 kills, Orr recorded 22 in his playoff debut while hitting .381.
Calgary delivered a solid road performance but struggled to recover after early deficits. Senior outside hitter Erik Godwin led the Dinos with 12 kills. Will Kay added 11, while Cole Czepuryk finished with 10. Matthew Brown dished out 29 assists.
Mount Royal was sharp in the opening set. Cody Hudson, Orr, and Kai Toney combined for nine kills as the Cougars posted a .522 hitting percentage. Calgary found its rhythm but could not cut into the lead as Mount Royal took the set.
The Cougars scored first in the second set, but Calgary responded immediately. A pair of early blocks featuring middle Luke Nodwell sparked a 5-0 run. The Dinos built a nine-point cushion midway through the set and controlled play the rest of the way to even the match.
Calgary hit an impressive .583 in the second set and out-blocked Mount Royal 4-0.
Mount Royal regained momentum in the third. The Cougars jumped ahead early, and despite Calgary pushing back, key points went Mount Royal's way. Orr delivered on two long rallies that shifted momentum, and Hudson capped the set with a kill to put the Cougars back ahead.
In the fourth, Mount Royal opened with a 5-1 lead. Calgary battled back to within one at 13-12, but that was as close as it got. The Cougars answered with a short run to restore a five-point lead and closed out the set to secure the match.
In addition to Orr's big night, Hudson finished with 15 kills for Mount Royal, while Toney added 12. Devon Sales-Parno collected 47 assists.
The Dinos will try to extend their season in Game 2 on Friday night, while the Cougars will look to advance in front of their home fans at Kenyon Court. First serve is set for 7 p.m. MST.
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