Ryan Stelter, Bison Sports

WINNIPEG – The Mount Royal University Cougars defeated the University of Manitoba Bisons 3-2 (20-25, 18-25, 25-18, 25-13, 12-15) in men's volleyball at the Investors Group Athletic Centre on Saturday, Feb. 3.

Following a similar storyline of the night prior, the Bisons could not find a way to bury the Cougars in the fifth set after winning the last two. With the loss, the Bisons fall to 7-13 and the Cougars move to 7-13.

The first set started off as a seesaw affair, with neither team able to grab a solid lead. The Cougars pulled away midway through, leading 16-11 at the technical timeout. Tyler Schmidt had back-to-back kills to end the set 25-20, including a vicious back row attack that left the Bisons stunned.

The second set was all Cougars, pouncing out to a 9-3 early forcing Bison head coach Garth Pischke to call a timeout. That did not seem to help, as the carnage continued for the home side, finding themselves down 16-6 at the technical timeout. Manitoba attempted a comeback but it was not nearly enough as Mount Royal won 25-18 with Schmidt again ending the set, this time with a big block.

With their backs against the wall in the third set, the Bisons jumped out to a 7-3 lead. The Cougars used their metaphorical claws to claw their way back into the set to make it close, but Manitoba stuck with the program and a Dustin Spiring block won the set for the home side 25-18.

In the fourth set, the Bisons came out swinging, shredding through the blocks of the Cougars to lead by as much as 11 points. Any attack the Cougars attempted to throw back was quelled, as the Bisons registered four team blocks in the set, winning 25-13.

The fifth set was back and forth, with both teams exchanging points. With the scores tied at 11, the Cougars got a good run of serving from Nick Lightfoot and took the match 15-11.

Manitoba made a host of errors, which in the end, cost them the match and giving the Cougars their fourth straight win. 

"It really doesn't matter who's on the other side of the court," Pischke said post game. "It could be six mannequins, if you hit the ball out, you can't score."

Manitoba heads to Regina on Feb. 9-10 for a pair of games against the University of Regina Cougars.

Kill leaders:
MAN: Adam DeJonckheere (17)
MRU: Riley Friesen (17)

Dig leaders:
MAN: Kevin Negus (10)
MRU: Jonathan Phillips (18)

Block leaders:
MAN: Brendan Warren (6)
MRU: Tyler Schmidt (5)