Kay, Czepuryk lead Dinos to sweep of Cascades

CALGARY – The University of Calgary Dinos men's volleyball team extended their home dominance with a 3-1 win over the Fraser Valley Cascades (22-25, 25-20, 25-16, 25-22) Saturday at the Jack Simpson Gym.

With the victory, Calgary remains undefeated at home this season. The Dinos improved to 4-6 in Canada West play, while Fraser Valley continues to search for its first win in 10 games.

The opening set was tightly contested, with both teams hitting efficiently – Fraser Valley at .480 and Calgary at .370. Neither side could gain more than a two-point edge until the closing moments, when Roan McCarthy contributed a service ace and kill, followed by two kills from Hudson Brandsma, giving the Cascades the first-set win.

The second set was similarly close. Calgary trailed 18-17 before a critical 5-1 run, sparked by two kills from Will Kay, turned the tide. A late triple block from Matthew Brown, Cole Czepuryk and Cam Hutt sealed the 25-20 set for the Dinos.

Calgary carried momentum into the third set. Early errors by the Cascades allowed the Dinos to build a lead, which they extended with an 8-1 run late in the frame. W. Kay, C. Czepuryk and Luke Nodwell combined for six kills in the decisive stretch, helping Calgary take the set 25-16.

Fraser Valley pushed back in the fourth, jumping to a 6-2 lead and eventually extending it to five. Calgary tied the game at 11 and gradually built a lead, fueled by kills from C. Czepuryk and W. Kay, to close out the weekend sweep 25-22.

W. Kay led the Dinos with 17 kills on .333 hitting and added six digs. C. Czepuryk contributed 15 kills, Nodwell nine, and Hutt recorded seven total blocks. Fraser Valley's Easton Sarich and McCarthy posted 14 and 12 kills, respectively.

Calgary will begin the second semester with a tournament in California hosted by Long Beach State before returning to Canada West action against the UBC Okanagan Heat on Jan. 9-10 in Kelowna. Fraser Valley resumes play at home versus the Brandon Bobcats on the same weekend.