CALGARY - The University of Calgary Dinos locked up their third straight win when they defeated the Regina Cougars 3-1 (25-20, 18-25, 25-17, 25-21) on Nov. 14 at Jack Simpson Gymnasium.
The Dinos now improve to 7-4 hoping to keep their place near the top of the Canada West standings, while the Cougars drop to 3-6.
Calgary's two leading scorers were Janna Ogle and Beth Vinnell who both recorded 10 kills on the night. Rookie Kate Pexman added seven kills and a game-high 16 digs. Second-year Brianna Solberg filled the shoes of starting libero Amber Brown and picked up 11 digs. Setter Jordhynn Guy recorded a game-high 36 assists.
For the Cougars, Michelle Sweeting scored a game-high 15 kills in the match, followed by another nine from Chelsea Ziolkowski. Tori Glynn picked up 11 digs and libero Lindsay Braul added nine more. Second-year setter Leah Shevkenek recorded 31 assists.
To start off the match, the Cougars were plagued with errors, helping Ogle get off to a 5-1 start serving on the line. The Dinos were able to build up their lead to as big as seven around the halfway mark. After the technical timeout, Regina's blocking played a major factor in keeping them in the set, getting as close as 18-15, but the Dinos prevailed, winning the first set 25-20.
The second was a different story as both teams battled it out. Regina took their first lead of the entire match at 7-6 and ran with it, gaining an 11-8 lead with Molly Wade-Cummings going on a serving run. That forced the Dinos to call a timeout. Despite the break, Calgary's defence and communication continued to slump as Regina took advantage. With a five-point lead at the technical, the Cougars continued to push for the tie up the match. The visitors were able to extend their lead and win the second 25-18.
A mix of new and old players made up the lineup for the Dinos in the third set including some rookies coming off the bench in the likes of Vinnell, Jillian Lazic and transfer Amber Adolph. In the set, Vinnell came out on fire, connecting with Guy for three hits in a row to give the Dinos the lead early on at 8-7. From there on out, Calgary led the way with the defence firing on all cylinders. Their lead of 16-12 grew to 18-12 after the technical timeout and it was smooth sailing from there. They took the 2-1 lead with a 25-17 win.
The fourth set saw the subs earn their place in the lineup with the same crew starting once again. A 5-0 run from Guy serving gave the Dinos a 13-8 lead, forcing Regina to call a timeout. At the timeout, Calgary went in with a 16-13 lead. Despite the Cougars getting close a couple times in the second half of the set, cutting the lead to two, Calgary pulled off the fourth set win 25-21 to win the match.
The Dinos will look for their second straight sweep tomorrow night when they rematch the Cougars at 5pm.
