CALGARY – Led by fifth year outside Sophie Carpentier (Ottawa) with 17 kills, one aces, and six digs the No. 3 Trinity Western Spartans made it six straight wins with a 3-0 victory over the Mount Royal Cougars Saturday night at Kenyon Court in Calgary, Alta. The 25-16, 25-22, 25-23 victory improves the Spartans to 9-1 in Canada West conference play, while the loss drops the Cougars to 4-6. 

Fifth year outside Elizabeth Wendel (Caronport, Sask.) with 11 kills and fourth year middle Katelyn Devaney (Coquitlam, B.C.) with eight kills, three blocks, and two aces added to the Spartans attack. 

Mount Royal's Taylor Pelland with 13 kills was the lone Cougar to sustain an offensive threat against the Spartans. 

TWU fourth year setter Nikki Cornwall (Coquitlam, B.C.) ran the Spartans attack and finished with 32 set assists to go with four digs, two aces and two blocks, while MRU's Allisa Dandenault ran the Cougars offence and finished with 20 set assists. 

The Spartans attack was efficient as they finished at 35.1 percent (39-12-77) to the Cougars 17 percent (31-16-88). TWU was also the better team at the net out blocking MRU 7.5 to four. 

Trinity Western was dominating in the first set as they jumped out to 6-0 lead on the serving of third year middle Ashtyn McKenzie (Vernon, B.C.). The Spartans expanded the lead to 16-7 at the technical break, before closing out the opening set 25-16 off of a Carpentier kill. 

The second set was more evenly played. TWU led 5-4 and then used a 11-8 run to take the 16-12 lead at the technical break. Out of the break the Spartans extended their lead to 19-13 after a Wendel kill. MRU would close slightly, but TWU would finish off the set 25-22 on a Cougars service error. 

It looked like the Spartans would make quick work of the match as they jumped out to an 8-3 lead. TWU extended the lead to 11-5 after a Wendel service ace. But MRU would find their way back into the match on the serving of Allisa Dandenault. Dandenault made four straight serves to give the Cougars a 15-14 led. TWU would get back-to-back points to take the one point lead at the break, 16-15. The two teams would match each other to 20-20. TWU would then use kills form Wendel and Carpentier as well as blocks from Cornwall and McKenzie on MRU's Pelland to take a 23-20 lead. The Spartans would go up 24-21, before Carpentier would close out the set 25-23 and the match 3-0. 

The Spartans are now off for the break. They pick up Canada West play on January 6 & 7 when they will host the Saskatchewan Huskies. 

Match Notes: Outside of their lone loss the Spartans are 27-2 in sets won over sets lost…TWU had 10 aces to MRU's seven…the Spartans finished with 27 digs, while the Cougars finished with 24…Trinity Western has won eight straight, 10-1 overall, against the Mount Royal… 

-TW-