Jason Hills
For MacEwan Athletics
EDMONTON — Down two sets and their backs against the wall in their final game of the regular season, the MacEwan Griffins went back to the bench before the third set — and the message was simple.
Let’s not finish the season like this. Let’s leave it all out there for the seniors who are graduating.
And while they didn’t earn the win over the Calgary Dinos on Saturday night, they won a marathon third set that showed poise, composure and grit, as MacEwan fell in four sets (25-16, 25-20, 27-29, 25-19) on Saturday night at the David Atkinson Gym.
“We really put an emphasis on not playing as individuals and to play for the people who can’t come back (next year), so it was really an effort to let them shine and play and that’s where our minds were at going into that third set,” said Griffins outside hitter Jared Inia.
Mitchell Croft led the Griffins with 11 kills and four digs, while Inia chipped in with 10 kills and three aces in the loss for MacEwan.
Playing in his final match for the Griffins, Mason Natras recorded 32 assists, while Mason Moore recorded one kill, three digs and one block in his last game as a Griffin.
Cole Czepuryk led the Dinos with 16 kills, five digs and three aces in the win, while Tyler Funk recorded 14 kills and six digs.
“We were making the right plays at the right time. We made a couple changes to give them a different look and it all worked out making the right plays,” said Moore about the third set.
“There have been a lot of losses this year, but there’s been a lot of fight. We didn’t back down easy, and it was evident in that third set. We left it all out there.”
It was a tough start for MacEwan as their offence was stuck in neutral in the opening set. They recorded just four kills, and the Dinos had full control of the set, leading right from the get-go.
MacEwan started to find some rhythm in the second set offensively. They hung with the Dinos, but MacEwan allowed Calgary to get 15 kills, and they were able to consistently side out.
“It was our passing. We were struggling on the passing side, and we couldn’t get the offence going, and we really had to work our way into the match,” said Moore
In the third set, MacEwan played inspired volleyball, and led for almost the entire set. The Dinos battled back, and were able to take a lead late, but the Griffins weren’t going to be denied in the third set.
They were going to find a way to extend the match, and they dug in and earned the hard fought 29-27 set win.
In a tough season that saw the Griffins have to settle for a lot of moral victories, that set win is something the group can build on for next year.
“We take the little wins when we can, but we’re always wanting more. There are a lot of things we can learn from this season, and hopefully we can work on a lot of stuff over the summer and bring it into next year,” said Inia.
After earning the win in the third set, the Griffins tried mightily to force the match to a fifth set, but they didn’t have much left in the tank, as the Dinos elevated their game and were able to hold off MacEwan.
“We played hard in that fourth set, but we just weren’t able to get on a good scoring run. I think us getting that set win off of them, lit a fire under their asses and we just couldn’t respond well enough,” Inia.
Saturday’s regular season finale was the final game in the careers of Natras and Moore, and Inia who wrapped up his first season with MacEwan, said he learned a lot from them.
“Both have been huge parts of the team this year. It’s going to leave a huge leadership void going into next year, with how much mentorship they bring to the team,” said Inia.
“Both of them have been a huge influence on me with the amount of work they put in. Even if they don’t get the result, they put in all the effort they can.”
Injured middle blocker Jonah Karsten was also part of the Senior Day festivities. For Moore, he earned the start in his final game with MacEwan, and he said it was an amazing feeling to share the floor one last time with his teammates.
“It hit me, this is the last time in this uniform. It’s been a ride,” said Moore.
“I said to the guys after the game that I love all of them like brothers. It’s been worth coming in every day to see them.”
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