Royals MVB go the distance with Camosun Chargers
By Davie Wong, Sports Editor
The Douglas Royals and Camosun Chargers have had a rivalry as long as I can remember, so around three years. Although both sides look completely different to what they were three years ago, the animosity of the match has been passed down to a new generation of players. This year was no different than the previous years.
The Chargers had the home court advantage and started strongly. The Royals kept up with the Chargers but couldn’t best them in the first set, and dropped the first set 25-20. The second set was a shocker as the Chargers blitzed the Royals for a 25-15 set win. Down 2-0, the Royals needed a huge win to get themselves back into the game.
In a teeter-totter of a set, the Royals found a way to survive with a 25-23 set win. The set came down to the wire, but the Royals held out. With momentum on their side, the Royals crushed the fourth set 25-19 to tie the game up and force a fifth set.
The fifth set came down right down to it with no definitive winner. However, the last kill went over to the Royals, and so did the game, as they took the fifth set with a massive 16-14 win. Greg Moore was a key player for the Royals, going 13 for 17 on the kill line. He had 16 total points on the night. Jerry Yan also had a big night, grabbing 12 kills and 13 total points.
Game two of the series brought another huge match. Like the first game, the Chargers got off to a rocket of a start. A 25-17 win put the Royals down early. But the Royals would fight back in the second. A 25-20 set win was just what the Royals needed to get back into the game. With both teams on highs, the third set saw sparks fly. The two teams rallied back and forth before the Chargers found the set ending point, claiming the set 25-23.
The fourth set was one that the Royals needed to win. It was a close one but the Royals didn’t disappoint. A huge 25-22 set in the Royals’ favor pushed them to a fifth set. But this time around, the Chargers were the better team in the fifth. The Royals dropped the fifth set 15-11, and the game 3-2.
Despite the loss, several Royals had themselves massive games. Reid Marriot had 22 kills out of 50 attempts, 14 digs, and a massive 24 total points. Jerry Yan had another big game with 12 kills and 15 total points. Captain Jared Collin was fantastic, racking up 48 assists, three kills, one ace, and one block for huge game.
The split result puts the Royals at 4-4 after four weeks. That’s good enough for third in the PACWEST, which ties them with the VIU Mariners. They face off against the fifth place UFV Cascades next week, which is sure to be an exciting match between two developing teams.
