BOX SCORE CALGARY – The Mount Royal University Cougars got a 25-kill performance from Colton deMan – and needed every one of those as they upended the University of Calgary Dinos 3-1 (25-22, 27-25, 17-25, 23-25, 15-12) Friday night in the Jack Simpson Gym.

With the score tied 11-11 in the decisive fifth set, deMan reeled off three straight kills to give the Cougars a match point opportunity, and the CIS newcomers were able to convert and earn their first-ever win in Canada West conference competition.

With the win, the Cougars pull even in the 2012-13 Crowchild Classic standings and sit tied at 1-1-2 with the Dinos pending the result of Friday night's women's match.

It was a win, though, that the No. 8-ranked Dinos almost grabbed after a tentative start, a 2-0 deficit, and back-to-back set wins to force the fifth set. A well-played opener went 25-22 in Mount Royal's favour after the Cougars hit nearly 45 per cent in the frame and the teams combined for just six errors. The second went back and forth, with neither team taking much of an edge other than a three-point MRU lead at 16-13. The Dinos fended off set point to tie it at 25, but a pair of kills by – who else – deMan ended it 27-25 in the visitors' favour.

Down two sets, the Dinos finally settled in and began to carry the play. Calgary hit an impressive 41 per cent in the 3rd set en route to a 25-17 win, the most lopsided of the night. Strong play at the net early saw Calgary gain three of its first eight points via the block, and they maintained a five-point cushion from 11-6 through the end of the set.

The fourth was tighter, with the teams trading points for most of the frame, but a Jovan Jankovic kill ended it in favour of the Dinos 25-23. The fifth began in a similar fashion, with a solo block by Jankovic giving the Dinos an early 4-2 lead. Again, however, the Cougars looked to deMan, and he delivered. After a kill, he stepped back to serve and ripped off an ace, followed by another tough serve that resulted in a kill by Zach Brown – and the Cougars never trailed from there en route to the 15-12 win.

Deman finished with 25 kills and just eight errors on 56 swings to hit better than 30 per cent on the night, adding a dozen digs and a pair of aces to his solid stat line. He was joined in double digits by Brown with 14, along with Jordan Parkin and Tommy Lyon with 11 apiece. Colton Smethurst paced MRU with 14 digs on the night, while Parkin added 13.

For the Dinos, Connor Frehlich led the way with 13 kills on the night and a nearly 40 per cent efficiency. Will Young chipped in with 12 kills while Monagle added 11. In his first CIS game, setter Jackson Maris led the Dinos with 15 digs on the night.

Calgary out-blocked the Cougars by a 13.5-8 margin, but Mount Royal had the edge in kills 67-56.

The Dinos and Cougars face off in the rematch down the road Saturday night, with the first serve slated for 5 p.m. MT at Mount Royal's Kenyon Court.

-UC-