Calgary, AB – The Mount Royal Cougars women’s volleyball team battled to a hard-fought 3-1 victory over the Brandon Bobcats on Thursday afternoon at Kenyon Court. The win improved the Cougars’ record to 6-5, while the Bobcats dropped to 1-10 on the season.
The match started with a sluggish first set for the Cougars, as the Bobcats capitalized on Mount Royal’s early errors to claim a commanding 25-17 victory. Brandon’s Cassidy Hauta led the charge with three kills and a service ace, while the Cougars struggled to find their rhythm, hitting just .067 in the opening frame.
Mount Royal regrouped in the second set, where standout performances from Bronwynn Davies-Neira and Sydney Scatcherd sparked a turnaround. Davies-Neira led all players with five kills in the set, while Scatcherd added two kills and a service ace. Mount Royal cruised to a 25-18 win, evening the match at one set apiece.
The third set proved to be the turning point of the match, as both teams traded points in a tightly contested battle. Emma Boyd and Mya Morgan stepped up offensively, combining for seven kills in the frame. Despite a strong push from Brandon’s Avery Burgar, who tallied three kills of her own, the Cougars held their nerve in the closing moments. A clutch kill by Davies-Neira and a key block by Morgan secured a 25-23 victory for Mount Royal.
In the fourth set, the Cougars appeared poised to close out the match but faced a resilient Bobcats squad that refused to go quietly. Brandon’s Carly Thomson and Hauta kept their team in contention with timely kills, while the Cougars leaned on Davies-Neira and Boyd. With the score tied at 24-24, Mount Royal showed their composure under pressure. A crucial kill by Scatcherd followed by an attack error from Brandon sealed the set 26-24 and the match for the Cougars.
Davies-Neira was the standout player of the night, leading the Cougars with 15 kills and adding 11 digs. Boyd contributed eight kills and a match-high four service aces, while Scatcherd chipped in eight kills and two aces of her own. Setter Lexi Herrod orchestrated the offense masterfully, recording 38 assists and nine digs.
For Brandon, Hauta was the top performer with nine kills and 11 points, while Burgar and Thomson added eight and five kills, respectively. Despite the loss, the Bobcats showed flashes of potential, particularly in their blocking game, where they recorded eight block assists as a team.
The Cougars will look to build on this momentum as they play game two of the series tomorrow at Kenyon Court. If you are unable to make it, you can catch the game live on Canada West TV.
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