CALGARY – In their first playoff action since the 2015-16 season, the University of Saskatchewan Huskies men's volleyball team came out strong but couldn't keep up with the host Mount Royal Cougars, dropping the first game of their quarter-final series 3-0 (25-23, 25-16, 25-10).
 
Dylan Mortensen led the Huskies with nine kills in the game as Saskatchewan struggled offensively against a Cougars squad that was hosting their first playoff series in program history.
 
Trent Mounter led the Cougars with a total of 19 kills throughout the three sets. The Cougars had a serve percentage of 0.905 and a total of nine team blocks..

It was the Huskies who took an initial lead in the match, but it didn't last long as the Cougars soon after found their rhythm to tie the score at 12. The Cougars energy escalated quickly, taking them into the technical timeout up 16-12.
 
With momentum swinging their way the Huskies took back control of the serve and yet again tied the set at 19.
 
With the Cougars one point away, the Huskies used their first timeout looking to tie the score at 24 and continue play. An attack error from the Huskies cost them the first set, and the Cougars walked away with a 25-23 win.
 
Rolling off of their win the Cougars kept up their pace. They quickly took a huge lead and forced the Huskies to call a timeout at 7-1 in the second.
 
The Cougars yet again were in the lead entering the technical timeout up 16-6. Mount Royal proved to be unstoppable and ended the second set with a kill from Schmidt to win 25-16.
 
No different than the previous set the Cougars fed off the excitement of the crowd after their previous set win. Once again, they took an early lead over the Huskies at 9-5. The Cougars stayed consistent on offence with the taste of a win within reach. The Huskies called a timeout down 10-19 in one final effort to make a comeback. The Cougars were on their 'A' game though and the Huskies couldn't keep up. Mount Royal's Louis Lange ended the set - and the match - with a kill from the middle.

The teams embark on their second match tomorrow night, Feb. 23, 2019 on Kenyon Court at 8 p.m. With the Cougars up one match it will be do or die for the Huskies in order to keep their playoff dreams alive.