CAMPUS PREVIEW: Cougars chase first-ever Canada West women's volleyball crown
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They’ve already secured a spot in the 2023 U SPORTS women’s volleyball championship.
But before that comes a chance for the Mount Royal Cougars to claim a maiden Canada West crown.
While the Trinity Western Spartans are seeking to become the first team in nearly 35 years to become CW queens win for a fourth consecutive time, Mount Royal is out to capture the Women’s Intervarsity Volleyball Trophy for the first time … period.
However, the Cougars aren’t talking up such a historic triumph, instead sticking to what’s moved them into the final on Saturday night at B.C.’s Langley Events Centre (8:30 p.m., CanadaWest.TV).
“Our group talks a lot about the process and being who we are and doing things the right way,” said MRU head coach Shane Smith. “We believe that when do that, then the score will take care of itself.
“And we will continue to do that.”
And why not?
This bunch has found success in the last three seasons by focusing on the match at hand.
The Cougars have been knocking on the door of championship contention, capturing Canada West bronze each of the last two post-seasons — in 2020 and 2022 — and now hope on Saturday to make the same breakthrough that their opponent did not long ago. The three-time defending champion Spartans won their first-ever Canada West gold medal in 2014-15 and have since taken home the conference title five of the last seven times it has been awarded. They would become the first team to claim the Canada West championship four straight times since the Victoria Vikes won five straight titles from 1986-90.
In that time, Mount Royal has been trying to find its footing in Canada West, having only joined the conference in the 2012-13 season. Now, 10 years later, here they are in the women’s volleyball gold-medal game for the first time.
“Trinity Western is a great team — they’re difficult to play against,” Smith said. “We will have to stay patient and trust in what has got us this far. Our team is a tight group, and I know they’ll look after each other and play their best match this weekend.”
The top two teams in the regular-season standings, with records of 22-2 and 19-5, respectively, Trinity Western and Mount Royal have swept through the first two rounds of the playoffs. Last week saw the Cougars eliminate the Manitoba Bisons, while the Spartans knocked off the Winnipeg Wesmen 2-0 in best-of-three semifinal series.
The Spartans are on a 13-match win streak — one that spans their final nine contests of the regular season, as well as the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds of the post-season. They won both of their regular-season matches against MRU, by scores of 3-1 and 3-0 at Kenyon Court in Calgary on Nov. 18 and 19.
Since then, Mount Royal has only lost twice. The Cougars are riding a 15-match win streak, with 11 of those victories coming in straight sets and only one needing a fifth set.
“Our players are pretty excited to have another crack at them this weekend,” said Smith of playing the mighty Spartans. “It’s been a long gruelling season, and we’ve worked so hard to get to this point. I am excited for them to put their best out there against a really tough opponent.”
Such remarkable team success can come only through the collective efforts of many talented individuals, of which the Cougars and the Spartans have plenty — half of the 14 total student-athletes selected as Canada West first- or second-team all-stars will be on the court Saturday night, including setter Quinn Pelland, outside hitter Haley Roe and middle Nyadholi Thokbuom of MRU, along with setter Dora Komlodi, middle Kaylee Plouffe, and outside hitters Ansah Odoom and Savannah Purdy of TWU.
So it’s only fitting this season would culminate with a match-up between Trinity Western and Mount Royal.
And they might well meet again next weekend, since both — as Canada West finalists — have clinched a spot in the field for national championship, taking place March 17-19 at UBC’s War Memorial Gymnasium in Vancouver.
VOLLEYBALL
The Dinos men’s volleyball team will play for a berth at the U SPORTS Men’s Volleyball Championship on Friday when they face the Saskatchewan Huskies for Canada West bronze.
The Dinos opened the post-season locally, as they faced the nationally ranked Mount Royal Cougars in the conference quarterfinal. After stunning the Cougars with a three-set win in the opener, the Dinos rallied for a reverse sweep and won the series in two games. Calgary then travelled to Langley, B.C., to face the Trinity Western Spartans last weekend. The Dinos fell in a spirited five-set battle in the opening match, followed by a four-set win by the Spartans the next night to earn their spot in the conference final.
Calgary has played some of its best volleyball in the late stages of this season. Before last weekend’s semifinal defeat, the Dinos had won 11 of their past 15 matches. Two of those setbacks came against the Huskies though, when Calgary visited Saskatoon in February.
It is the second consecutive season in which the Dinos have found themselves playing for the conference’s bronze medals. Last season, the Canada West Final Four was hosted by Trinity Western, where Calgary faced the Brandon Bobcats. After defeating the Bobcats in three sets, the Dinos moved on to nationals for the first time since 2014 and placed fourth.
Calgary will need to contend with Saskatchewan’s Dylan Mortensen, who became Canada West’s all-time kills leader this season with 1,490. Mortensen was also named a first team all-star, while fellow Huskies outside hitter Levi Olson cracked the second team and libero Ethan Smith made the all-rookie squad. Senior middle Lincoln Baines was Calgary’s lone all-star on the second team, while Zack Durrant earned a spot on the all-rookie team after transitioning to setter mid-season.
The winner of Friday’s match will join the eight-team field at the U SPORTS Men’s Volleyball Championship in Hamilton. Hosted by McMaster University, this year’s tournament begins Thursday, March 16, with the Alberta Golden Bears and the Trinity Western Spartans already set to represent Canada West.
The bronze-medal showdown will take place at 6 p.m. MT from USask’s Physical Activity Complex and can be streamed on Canada West TV.
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