BOX SCORE CALGARY –  In the season opener for both teams, the Mount Royal Cougars got the better of the University of Calgary Dinos with a 3-2 win (25-23, 23-25, 26-28, 25-22, 15-12) Friday night at Kenyon Court.

Colton de Man led all Cougars in scoring with a whopping 25 kills. Connor Frelich was the Dinos' top scorer putting home 12 kills.

In what was one of the tightest games you may ever see the Cougars jumped out to an early leasd outlasting the Dinos 25-23. The Dinos had taken leads over the Cougars throughout but the Cougars kept preserving and getting the ball to their All-Star Colton de Man who was killing the ball in the first set.

The second set was just as tight having the Cougars, this time on the losing end of a 25-23 score. Errors at the net and at the service line cost Mount Royal and handed the Dinos the set.

Tied at 24 late in the third either team had the opportunity to take a decisive lead in the set. The Dinos got hot on the serve and managed to squeak by the Dinos 28-26.

It was do or die in the fourth set for the Cougars and they knew they had to pull something out. Another back and forth set had neither team looking to break away.  The Cougars won several points in a row and looked to be in the driver's seat but the Dinos did not let up. The teams traded points until a kill by de Man was the final nail in the coffin giving the Cougars a 25-22 win. 
 
The Cougars and Dinos were tied at 8 when Colton de Man got on serve and rallied off four straight points. Colton's rally sparked his team and the Cougars never looked back as they took the final set 15-12.

The Cougars now hold a record of 1-0 and the Dinos fall to 0-1.

These two teams will play each other tomorrow night at 6:30 p.m. up at the Jack Simpson Gymnasium at the University of Calgary.

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