CALGARY – The University of Calgary Dinos men's volleyball team finished off a weekend sweep of their provincial rivals Saturday night with a four-set win over the University of Alberta Golden Bears, taking the match 3-1 (11-25, 25-20, 26-24, 27-25).

Cole Czepuryk led the Dinos with 14 kills and a .379 hitting percentage, while Erik Godwin finished close behind with 11 kills. Setter Zack Durant proved crucial defensively, recording a team-high 12 digs in the win.

Three Golden Bears finished in double figures in kills, with Jacob Sargent leading the way with 14 to go with a game-high 13 digs. 

With the win, the Dinos improve to 6-8 in conference play this season, while the weekend sweep is just the first suffered by the Bears in a full calendar year as they drop to 8-4.

This marks the first weekend sweep of Alberta by Calgary since doing so Feb. 18-19, 2022.

Alberta came out with intensity in the opening set, looking to atone for Friday night's Battle of Alberta loss and making their presence felt at the net. Kills from Owen Harris and Matt Shand helped the Bears build an early 10-5 lead, and the visitors maintained control throughout, cruising to an opening-set win, 25-11.

The Dinos gained momentum in the second set. After trading points early, C. Czepuryk delivered a statement block that sparked a three-point run for Calgary. Rookie Jackson Vandersteen stayed committed throughout the set, contributing a strong back-row kill to extend the Dinos' lead to four points. Calgary was the first to reach the red zone at 20-18, and Godwin followed with back-to-back kills to give the Dinos the edge. Calgary closed out the set 25-20 to even the match.

Cole Czepuryk continued to apply pressure in the third set, finding the floor early as the teams went point for point. Following some physical net play, the Dinos produced the set's only three-point run. The sequence began with a kill from C. Czepuryk, followed by a block from Luke Nodwell and another from Ethan Czepuryk. E. Czepuryk later capitalized on a strategic middle attack set up by Durant, while Godwin delivered a key kill at 25-24. Matthew Brown finished the set with a block, giving Calgary a narrow 26-24 advantage and the two-sets-to-one lead.

Alberta opened the fourth set with a strong offensive push, building a 7-3 lead. Despite trailing by two points later in the set, the Dinos remained composed. Service errors from both sides kept the score tight, while a key double block from Will Kay and Nodwell provided a defensive spark. After several extended rallies, C. Czepuryk and Vandersteen proved to be reliable offensive options, helping Calgary climb from a 21-20 deficit to a 24-24 tie. The teams traded kills to reach 25-25 before Alberta committed a service error. Brown then delivered the final kill, set up by Emil Olsen, to secure the 27-25 win.

"It's great to be back in the win column," said Cole Czepuryk. "The emotions were definitely flowing in this game, but it's important to stay level. After a battle like that, I'm feeling pretty good about where we're at."

The Dinos return to the Jack next weekend when they host the UBC Thunderbirds. First serve Friday is scheduled for 6 p.m.

-UC-