No holiday hangover as Cougars down Wolf Pack 3-0

Brendan Stasiewich, Mount Royal Cougars Sports Information

CALGARY, AB- On Friday night on Kenyon Court the Mount Royal Cougars managed to take down the Thompson Rivers Wolf Pack in straight sets (25-22, 25-20, 25-15). 

Tyler Schmidt, Mount Royal's leading scorer this season, pitched in with 15.5 points while Brandon Hewwing led the way for the Wolf Pack with 9.5 point in a losing effort.

Mount Royal came into the first set swinging, forcing a quick Wolf Pack time out after jumping out to an 8-2 lead.

The Wolf Pack made a valiant effort to get back into the set, eventually winning six points in a row to pull within one late in the game. Mount Royal, who responded to the Wolf Pack attack with a time out of their own, thwarted the Wolf Pack's comeback bid after Tyler Schmidt, Andrew McWilliam and Lucas King made three key plays to give the Cougars a 25-22 win.

Mount Royal, with the momentum now heavily in their favour, dominated the middle portion of the second set. Led by Tyler Schmidt's 10 kills between the first two games, Mount Royal would take the second set 25-20.  

Schmidt and Andrew McWilliam dominated the front of the net in the third set for Mount Royal. Winning a majority of points by smashing the ball through Wolf Pack block attempts, the duo, alongside Lucas King, put up a proverbial brick wall of their own, preventing any Wolf Pack offense.

Receiving some added contributions from the bench, the Cougars went on to win the third set 25-15, defeating Thompson Rivers for just the second time in team history.

The win improves the Mount Royal Cougars to 6-7 on the season while Thompson Rivers falls to 4-9.

The Wolf Pack will get a chance at redemption tomorrow night when the two teams face off at 5 P.M. on Kenyon Court.

Photo Credit: Adrian Shellard