Volleysaurs don’t stop fighting after the fact

By Carly McKay

They may have been eliminated from playoff contention, but the Dinos men’s volleyball team isn’t going down without a fight. This weekend they demolished the University of Regina Cougars in two straight matches, proving that pride is still on the line at the tail end of the season.


Friday night’s contest started well, with the home team powering out to an early lead and maintaining solid pressure at the net to secure a 25-22 win. The next two sets followed suit, with 25-17 and 25-22 victories.


With injuries still plaguing the starting lineup, those who were able to take to the court were called on to play big, and Head Coach Grey Ryan’s crew came up huge. Sean Kendal, Tyler Fraser and Eric von Engelbrechten each had nine kills and a service ace, while Fraser and von Engelbrechten also contributed six digs each. The team effort was capped off with an excellent starting appearance by Cam Main, his first of the campaign.


“He did not bad, for a rookie,” Ryan commented.


The Dinos continued their rampage Saturday night with another 3-0 sweep of the hapless Cougars. Attack distribution played a major factor. The visiting blockers were unable to keep up with Calgary’s hitters, particularly von Engelbrechten and Brian Nelis, who each finished the match with eight kills. Nelis lit it up from the service line as well, with three aces, leading his team to 25-22, 25-17 and 25-20 wins. Fraser rounded out the all around performance with seven digs.


These matches marked the first Dinos victories since Jan. 15. Even though they came against the bottom dwelling Cougars, Main notes that “winning is winning.”


After being forced into a starting role due to injuries, the first year hitter got some valuable game experience in preparation for next year.


“Just starting this weekend was outstanding,” he said. “But our goal is to win out the season.”


Come support your Dinos in their final matches Feb. 11-12 against the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds. Games are both at 2 p.m. in the Jack Simpson Gym.