Box Score Cougars defeated in clash with Wesmen
Max Campbell, Mount Royal Cougars Sports Information
CALGARY, AB – The Mount Royal Cougars kicked off their final home weekend of the 2015-16 regular season with a five-set loss (22-25, 25-20, 25-22, 22-25, 9-15) to the University of Winnipeg Wesmen.
A series of lengthy, hard-fought points opened the first set with neither team able to build a decisive lead. Tyler Schmidt's powerful kill down the line then pulled Mount Royal to within three before the Wesmen called a timeout with their lead cut to one. But despite the surge, Winnipeg would soon earn their 25th point before the home side could reach their 23rd.
Fifth-year standout Jordan Parkin opened the second set with a cross-court kill and Josh Kirkham would soon follow suit with his first point of the night. A yellow card was assessed to the Cougars' Lucas King with the Winnipeg native expressing his frustrations as an early second-set advantage gradually faded, but an acrobatic defensive sequence eventually knotted the set at 15 apiece. Mount Royal prevailed in the end, tying up the contest by a score of 1-1.
In the third, the Cougars led from beginning to end, and late back-to-back blocks courtesy of Lachlan Polson and King all but clinched the set for Mount Royal.
Libero Jonathan Phillips managed to salvage a point for the Cougars as he cleared the ball away from the Mount Royal bench midway through the forth set. Yet, having posted just a single error in the fourth, the Wesmen would go on to claim the set and thus force a fifth and deciding frame.
A wide-open kill down the middle from David Bommersbach sealed the win for Winnipeg, as the Wesmen finished with a .357 hitting percentage and just 15 attack errors to the Cougars' 25.
Dropping to 10-11 on the season is Mount Royal; the Wesmen snapped their two-game losing streak by improving to 14-7 on the campaign.
Saturday night will see the Cougars look to even up the two-game series when the action gets going at 5:00 pm from Mount Royal's Kenyon Court. It's a must-win scenario for the Cougars, who are still jostling for one of the final positions in the Canada West playoff race.
Photo Credit: Adrian Shellard
