STRATHMORE, Alberta – Playing in coach Ben Josephson's hometown of Strathmore, Alta., the Trinity Western's men's volleyball team dropped a 3-0 (25-12, 25-23, 25-17) decision to Mount Royal Thursday at Strathmore High School.

The loss was the first of the preseason for the Spartans, who earned a pair of wins over the Cougars on home court last week.

"It wasn't a good showing for the boys," Josephson said. "It's funny how much things can change in six days. We played great against these guys on Saturday and, with what I thought was an even better lineup for us tonight, they shelled us back.

"At this stage in the season, you want to make sure you're focusing on working on the skills, techniques and tactics that you're trying to utilize to be a great volleyball team at the end of the season. Hopefully every day is a step towards that and that's what growth is all about. Unfortunately I don't think we took the step forward that we were hoping to take today. The nice part for us is that we have a number of opportunities to compete this weekend and to continue to grow as a team in our abilities and our togetherness."

While the loss marked a setback for the Spartans, the opportunity for Josephson to coach in his hometown still made for a memorable night.

"It was a great night in terms of seeing lots of friends and old teammates and old coaches," Josephson said. "That was very cool. I had a trip down memory lane driving into town and seeing my old house and my old stomping grounds and hangout spots. It was cool to remember where I got my volleyball start and I'm very thankful for the town of Strathmore and my high school and coach Randy Moncks for setting me off on a path to coach a great team like the Spartans."

The Spartans will now compete in the Dino Cup at the University of Calgary. TWU plays two matches on Friday, taking on MRU at noon (PDT) and Calgary at 6:30 p.m. (PDT), before playing Saskatchewan Saturday at 3 p.m. (PDT).

-TW-