Cougars haul in ACAC medals

Photo by Jorden Dixon. The Cougars women’s volleyball team is all smiles after capturing the ACAC crown

The Cougars women’s volleyball team captured its 13th ACAC title with a dramatic five-set victory over Grande Prairie Feb. 27. It was the Cougars’ first provincial title since going back to back in 2007 and 2008.

The win highlighted an extraordinary season for the Cougars, who suffered only a single loss in 20 matches, that coming at the hands of Grande Prairie. Mount Royal won 58 regular season games while losing only nine.

Next up for the Cougars is the CCAA National Championships March 10-12 at the University of New Brunswick-Saint John. The Cougars will be competing against seven other schools — UBC Okanagan, Francois-Xavier-Garneau, Vancouver Island University, Grande Prairie Regional College, Humber College and UNB-Saint John — for national bragging rights.

The Cougars have never won a national title.

In other action, Mount Royal’s men’s and women’s futsal teams each captured silver medals during the ACAC championships. The men’s team fell 3-0 to Lakeland College in the final while the women were blanked 1-0 by Medicine Hat.

The futsal teams had previously captured both tournaments.

Mount Royal’s men’s and women’s basketball teams concluded their respective seasons by winning bronze medals during their respective provincial championships.

Chelsey Morrill battles with a MacEwan defender during the Cougars’ 3-0 series sweep of the Griffins.

The men’s squad fell to NAIT 95-82 in the semi-final before rebounding to beat Lakeland 91-81 in the bronze medal game. The women lost a close game to MacEwan, 55-52, in their semi final before capturing the bronze with a 69-65 win over cross-town rival SAIT.

Women’s hockey saw the Cougars sweep their semi-final series with MacEwan, winning the series in three games by scores of 3-1, 3-0 and 4-2. Mount Royal will now face off with SAIT for the ACAC title. The first game of the series goes March 11, 7 p.m., at Flames Community Arenas, with game two at SAIT the following night.

The men’s hockey team currently holds a 2-1 series lead over Augustana in its semi-final best of five contest. Game five of the series, if necessary, will be played at Flames Community Arenas March 13 at 7 p.m.

Finally, the men’s doubles badminton team of Matt Chan and Greg Buckley finished fifth at the CCAA championships March 5 in New Brunswick.