WINNIPEG – Entering their quarterfinal matchup against the No. 2 nationally ranked Manitoba Bisons, Mount Royal knew they'd need to key in on Raya Surinx. The left side and first team conference all-star led the nation in kills and kills per set for a second year in a row, and has 138 kills in eight games against MRU.
 
She was a force on Thursday night once again, putting down a game-high 18 kills while hitting .412 as the hosts beat Mount Royal 3-0 (25-21, 25-18, 25-22) at IGAC to take a 1-0 series lead.
 
Despite the score, it didn't come easy for the Herd. All three sets went back and forth, with the Cougars leading by as much as four in the third before Manitoba pushed back to sweep the contest.
 
Mount Royal was particularly strong in the middle, with Winnipeg native Mya Morgan and Canada West All-Star Emma Boyd combining for 13 kills and five assisted blocks. They were part of a strong front row presence that got their hands on a number of Surinx attacks.
 
But Surinx kept swinging, and she didn't make many mistakes. She had just four errors overall on 34 total attacks, along with an ace.
 
"I felt like we did a great job of stopping her tonight to be totally honest. I don't know what her stats were, but I think it was not as strong as she normally is. Basically it's about playing the percentages. We know that she's a high percentage hitter. When you know that there's someone who has that much volume, you're just a little more aware of where they are on the court," said Cougars head coach Rhonda Schmuland.
 
"I thought our blocking lineups were really well done. We had a few where the ball got through the seams and they were able to find that, but I thought our middles did a fantastic job of closing, and we got some really positive touches tonight on our blocking."
 
And while Mount Royal kept pace, Manitoba's depth and overall efficiency once again led them to victory.
 
When the Cougars keyed in on Surinx, it left other Bisons open in one-on-one situations, and they capitalized.
 
Canada West All-Star Katreena Bentley had 34 assists, with four other Bisons recording at least four kills. Overall, the Bisons hit .330.
 
"They touched a lot of balls. Raya had a lot of indirect ones, because they were sitting on her, rightfully so, but it gave opportunities to other players," said Manitoba head coach Ken Bentley.
 
"She helps us even when she doesn't get set. Raya is playing really good volleyball. She's just in a good place right now. I'm happy with everybody obviously. I think our balance is our strength generally."
Co-captain Light Uchechukwu, in her final season of eligibility, reaped the rewards of isolation situations and was a standout in all six positions. She had six of her 11 kills in the first, including a line shot over a double block to end set one, while hitting .231 on 26 total attacks.
 
"Her practicing this last month has just been off the charts good. There's a sense that this is kind of it for me, and I want to make sure I make it the very best portion of my career that I can," said Bentley.
 
"It's been reflected in her play. She's playing how she's practicing. She was so strong and so athletic, and she passed well too against some tough serving."
 
A four-point run in the first opened a 9-9 game wide open. Surinx and Uchechukwu both had out of system kills during Manitoba's push, and they didn't trail the rest of the way.
 
Boyd had four aces through two sets, while Megan Jones and Bronwynn Davies-Neira combined for ten digs as the two sides went back and forth in set two.
 
Strong service pressure, to the tune of three aces, helped Manitoba surge ahead, with Uchechukwu and Brenna Bedosky combining for an assisted block to make it 2-0.
 
The third set was the tightest of the night. Morgan had three kills within MRU's first 12 points, as the Cougars led 12-8. But the Bisons pushed back, eventually taking a 22-21 lead on Surinx's cross-court blast from the right over a double block.
 
Left side Andi Almonte ended the match shortly after, putting her fifth kill down from the left, elevating over a double block.
 
Both teams play again tomorrow at 6 pm.