Anthony Simone, Cougar Athletics
CALGARY - The Mount Royal Cougars came into Saturday's game looking to take 2 straight and sweep the weekend versus the University of Alberta Pandas at Kenyon Court. A hard fought battle between these two evenly matched teams would end with the Pandas winning in 5 sets 21-25, 25-12, 22-25, 25-21, 16-14. Julia Zonneveld for the Pandas and Allisa Danndenault for the Cougars were the Booster Juice Players of the Game
The Cougars came out strong in the first jumping to a 14-9 lead forcing Alberta to take a time out. A kill by Cassidy Kitchen capped off an impassive first half of play as she had 3 kills going into the technical timeout with the Cougars leading 16-11. The Pandas stormed back to tie the game 17-17 after the technical timeout forcing the Cougars to call timeout. The Cougars were able to regroup after the timeout and win the first 25-21.
The second set started as a back and forth affair due in large part to great defence and errors on both sides. The Pandas would then come alive scoring 9 straight points taking the game into the technical timeout leading 16-7. The Pandas continued to dominate the set after the timeout taking the set 25-12 and tying the game at 1-1.
MRU came out hot in the third set after a big kill by Anna Carelson ignited the home crowd. An error by the Pandas extended the Cougars lead to 12-9 and forced Alberta to use a timeout. Carelson would once again come up with a big kill in the set and take MRU into the technical timeout up 16-11. After trailing 20-12 the Pandas scored 4 straight forcing MRU to use a timeout. 2 straight kills by Chantel Park got the Cougars to within 1 point of winning the set, but the Pandas wouldn't go away, scoring 3 straight and closing the gap to 24-21. Park would then cap off her impressive set with the winning kill, giving the Cougars the 25-22 victory and a 2-1 lead going into the fourth.
With the game tied 9-9 in the fourth set, the Pandas scored 3 straight forcing the Cougars to take a timeout. The Pandas impressive offensive attack continued after the timeout and took a 16:13 lead into the technical timeout. The Pandas defence was impressive after the technical timeout, winning several rallies when they seemed dead in the water. Cougars called a timeout down 5 then scored 4 straight of their own to close the gap to 1. The Cougars were unable to complete the comeback and lost the set 25-21 forcing a fifth and final set.
The Cougars started the fifth with two straight kills. A block would then force the Pandas to take a timeout down 3-0 early. Kitchen was impressive with 3 early kills for MRU. The Pandas refused to go away closing the gap to 2 as they trailed 8-6 when the teams traded sides. A big block by MRU's Park made the score 12-8. The Pandas would then score 3 straight the force a Cougars timeout. An ace by Shauntelle Hogg would tie the score 12-12. The hard-fought game would finally come to an end as Julia Zonneveld put home the kill and gave the Pandas the 16-14 set win and the 3-2 match victory.
The Cougars head to Edmonton next Friday, January 19th to take on MacEwan at 6 PM. The game can be live streamed on Canadawest.tv.