CALGARY, Alta. — The U SPORTS No. 3-ranked UBCO Heat men's volleyball team (15-3) fell to the Mount Royal Cougars (7-9) in straight sets, 27-25, 25-22, 25-21, on Saturday night.

Zach van Geel led the team the Heat's efforts with 32 assists, increasing his lead atop UBCO's all-time assists list, now sitting at 2771 for his career. That leaves him alone in 13th place all-time in Canada West history. 

Seba Manuel bolstered the offence with nine kills and two solo blocks, finishing with 12 points. Xander Van Driel added 12 kills on 31 attempts, also accumulating 12 points. 

Kale Orr led Mount Royal with 17 kills and a .400 hitting percentage over three sets. Orr also made a significant defensive impact with six digs, securing 19 total points. Isaac Karstad was a force at the net, leading the team with five total blocks. 

UBCO opened the first set with strong offensive contributions, highlighted by van Geel's six assists. The team gained momentum through a 5-0 run, capitalizing on Mount Royal's errors and service aces, notably from Thys Weststrate. Despite holding a four-point advantage midway, the Heat could not maintain their lead and succumbed to MRU's late 6-1 surge, falling 27-25 in a tightly contested set.

The Cougars edged out a tense second set victory over UBCO, 25-22, with critical contributions from Hudson and Orr. Hudson's consistent offence, including multiple kills, helped Mount Royal build a lead, while Orr's decisive kill at the end sealed the set. 

The Heat made a strong start in the third set with effective blocking, notably by van Geel and Ashton South, which contributed to early leads. Despite this, Mount Royal capitalized on service errors and attack mistakes from UBCO, allowing them to maintain pressure. Orr's consistent kills, supported by Grant Hill's assists, helped the cougars secure a 25-21 set win, completing the comeback after UBCO's initial dominance.

The defeat ended an impressive seven-game win streak for the Heat on the road as they suffered their first setback away from Kelowna in the regular season.

Looking ahead, UBCO will enjoy a bye week before they get set to face off against the No. 1-ranked UBC Thunderbirds on Friday, Feb. 13, at 7:30 p.m. Fans can catch the game live on CanadaWest.tv presented by BioSteel.