Andrew Snucins

Box Score

MRU Cougars MRU 0-0,0-0

TRU WolfPack TRU 0-0,0-0

MRU Cougars MRU

0-0,0-0

Final

Feb. 08, 2025

TRU WolfPack TRU

0-0,0-0

Set Scores
Team	1	2	3	4	F
MRU Cougars MRU	25	20	20	23	(1)
TRU WolfPack TRU	15	25	25	25	(3)

Game Recap: Men's Volleyball | 2/8/2025 7:04:00 PM | TRU WolfPack

WolfPack complete sweep to set up crucial final weekend

Next Match:

Brandon

2/14/2025 | 5:30 PM

Next Match

Full Schedule

Feb. 14 (Fri) / 5:30 PM

Brandon

History

Recap
Roster

QUICK FIRE

For the second night in a row the Thompson Rivers WolfPack men's volleyball team got it done when they needed to the most as they defeated MRU Cougars by a score of 3-1 (15-25, 25-20, 25-20, 25-23) inside the TCC.
The win keeps TRU's postseason dreams alive. The 'Pack are now 6-12 and will need positive results in their final weekend against the 8-10 Brandon Bobcats to qualify.

DIFFERENCE MAKERS

Rylan Ibbetson led the 'Pack with a team-high 14 kills to go along with his nine digs. Sam Flowerday added 12 kills, six digs, three block assists, a pair of service aces and a solo block to the WolfPack scoresheet. Matthew Hamilton had a team-high 10 digs to go along with his impressive 10 kills and three block assists. Mason Sodaro played an extremely well-rounded game tallying five kills, four block assists, two solo blocks and an ace. Walker Sodaro led the 'Pack with 30 assists to go along with his nine digs and his own pair of serving aces.
Cody Hudson led the Cougars with a game-high 17 kills to go along with his four blocking assists and a pair of serving aces. Paul Dionne added nine kills while Grant Hill recorded 38 assists ,16 digs and four block assists.

HOW IT HAPPENED

MRU commanded the first set. Dionne had five kills and an ace in the frame with Hudson adding four kill as the Cougars hit an incredible .652 per cent as a team. The turning point came in the middle of the frame where the visitors put together a 6-0 run that featured a kill and an ace from Dionne to give MRU a 12-7 edge. From there the Cougars rode out the rest of the set to take it 25-15.
TRU bounced back in the second. Flowerday and Ibbetson combined for nine of the WolfPack's 13 kills in the set while the WolfPack defence came up big with five team blocks. TRU jumped out to an early lead with an ace from Flowerday giving them a six-point edge at 19-13. MRU did their best to fight back but it was too little too late as the 'Pack took it 25-20.
It was more of the same in the third. Brothers Mason and Walker Sodaro had a strong set for a TRU squad that hit .344 per cent while holding MRU to a mark of .207. The 'Pack gained their first real momentum of the frame off a massive solo block courtesy of Mason Sodaro to make the score 16-12 in favour of the hosts. The teams traded points throughout the rest of the frame with MRU unable to eat into the lead with a Matthew Hamilton kill ending the set at 25-20.
TRU fought off a late MRU charge to take the fourth set and secure the match. Holding a 19-14 lead it looked like the 'Pack were on their way for a comfortable victory but the Cougars refused to go away. Back-to-back aces from Jovan Stepanovic sparked a 9-4 MRU run to knot the match at 23-23. The 'Pack wouldn't let the game slip away however as a Hamilton kill set up Rylan Ibbetson on the service line for match point where the fourth-year outside served up an ace to end the night.

NOTABLE

TRU is chasing down both the 7-11 Fraser Valley Cascades and 8-10 Bobcats for that final playoff spot. Not only will they need to get even on wins, they will also need to close the points gap for any potential tie-breakers.
With two aces in the game, Sam Flowerday now sits just three back of tying Brad Gunter for the all-time program record of 109.
TRU will celebrate the careers of graduating players Sam Flowerday and Matthew Hamilton after their game next Friday.

QUOTABLE (WolfPack head coach, Pat Hennelly)

"A real slow start and that's frustrating considering what is at stake but we showed composure to come back in the second set and I thought we were very stable from that point on."
"Credit to Mount Royal, I thought they were going to be looser today, they were serving tougher and kind of put us on our heels."
"Big nights again from our outside hitters which was good to see."
ON CLOSING OUT THE FOURTH SET "Everyone has to realize, and I think it's good for our young guys to see, that it's not over. We still get in that mode of thinking that we can relax but we can't. It was great to see Flowerday with some big hits at the end, I thought we got really tight but then finished strong."
"I'm happy with the way we've played in the second semester and we still have a shot here. Considering how bad our first half was, the fact that we still have something to play for next weekend is great."

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