Cougars take down Wolf Pack in straight sets  

Brendan Stasiewich, Mount Royal Cougars Sports Information

CALGARY, AB- The Mount Royal Cougars took down the Thompson Rivers Wolf Pack on Friday evening on Kenyon Court in straight sets (25-22, 26-24, 25-20).

Taylor Pelland and Alex Donaghy had strong games for the Cougars, with Donaghy leading the way with 11 kills. Meanwhile Iulia Parkomenko continued her strong season for the Wolf Pack by registering 13 kills in a losing effort.

Parkomenko, the conference leader in kills, picked up right where she left off before the December break in the first set, picking up five kills. Behind Parkomenko's strong net front presence, Thompson Rivers maintained a marginal lead for the majority of the set.

The Cougars would respond with a mini comeback late in the set. Mount Royal grabbed hold of their first lead when setter Jenna Smith rose above the net to make a block that landed perfectly behind the Wolf Pack players to go ahead 22-21. Grabbing hold of the momentum, the Cougars won three out of the final four points, taking the first set 25-22.

The second set unfolded much like the first. The Wolf Pack had a superb start, and led 14-8 until Mount Royal again found their game. In a matter of minutes the game had turned around thanks to contributions from all six players on the court for the Cougars. Their resilience found them tied at 18, and they would eventually gain a 24-21 lead.

However, after a Cougars spike attempt landed out, Parkomenko stepped to the line for the Wolf Pack where her ferocious serve won her team three straight points, giving Thompson Rivers life.

With the score tied at 24, Mount Royal managed to get a hold of Parkomenko's serve. After a short rally, a Wolf Pack hit attempt sailed out, giving Mount Royal a chance to complete their comeback. Another short rally lead to Parkomenko scrambling for the ball, missing a teammate with a pass in the process, giving the Cougars a 26-24 second set win.

Alex Donaghy and Taylor Pelland put an exclamation point on the Cougars victory in the third set, confidently sending ball after ball down past Wolf Pack defenders on the way to a 25-20 set win.

With both teams coming into the contest tied in the standings, the win catapults Mount Royal (6-7) past Thompson Rivers (5-8) in the Canada West Conference.

The Wolf Pack will have a chance to draw even with Mount Royal tomorrow evening on Kenyon Court at 7 P.M.  

Photo Credit: Adrian Shellard