CALGARY - The University of Saskatchewan Huskies were hosted by the Mount Royal University Cougars on Kenyon Court for a Friday evening match. After taking an early lead and facing a strong Huskies comeback, the Cougars won the night after an extended final set.
The set scores were: 25-11, 25-23, 20-25, and 29-27.
For Mount Royal, Tasha Holness led with 16.5 points and 15 kills. For Saskatchewan, Olivia Mattern led with 16 points and 13 kills.
The Cougars began the match with an early lead of just a few points. Cassidy Kitchen landed several kills to bring the team further ahead. In addition, a series of service aces helped them hold onto the lead. Huskies' Brooke Listwin broke their streak with a couple kills of her own, but the Cougars took the set in the end.
Saskatchewan opened the scoring for the second with two quick kills from Mattern. The Cougars were struggling to properly communicate leading to a Huskies lead. They soon found their pace once more to match the score then pull into the lead after Dholi Thokbuom landed several kills. The Huskies' Emily Koshinsky brought the score to a tie at 23, but Mount Royal's Holness and Quinn Pelland landed two quick kills to win the set.
The Huskies once more took a slight lead in the beginning of the third, keeping their resolve and putting forth a consistent effort. The Cougars were struggling to block their plays, leading to a series of kills landing in their territory. Koshinsky was finding a healthy amount of kills, her team's efforts paying off and earning them the third set.
Saskatchewan held a strong lead early in the fourth, Koshinsky earning a series of kills off the bat. The Cougars broke their streak as Kitchen landed some of her own, narrowing the score gap to two. The Huskies held a consistent two point lead through most of the set until the Cougars caught up at 22. It then became a battle of the ages. They were trading points, several due to attack errors on both sides. Finally, as the score snuck past 25 each, Mount Royal's Chantel Park landed two quick kills to win the match.
The teams will face off once more for the weekend on Saturday, February 1st, on Kenyon Court. It will be broadcasted live on CanadaWest.tv, presented by Co-op.
