By Davie Wong

Home openers are a special sort of event. For the Royals volleyball squads, this weekend of PACWEST volleyball action saw the team opening their season at home against the CBC Bearcats. The action started with the women, who came together under new head coach Jeff Ross for the first time in PACWEST action.

               The ladies issued a statement to the Bearcats in the first set. The team managed to thread together seven points in a row behind the serving of Captain Juliana Penner and rocked the Bearcats, taking the set with a score of 25-17.

               The second set saw that same level of play from the Royals, as they managed to find serve stick. Rookie Vania Silva do Santos de Oliveira found herself serving several aces and on the serving end of seven points as the Royals found a way to make their possession count. The team would close the set with a score of 25-20.  

               The Bearcats showed signs of life in the third set, and came back to threaten the Royals with running away with the set. But Penner showed exactly why she was Captain of this Royals squad, and made her mark, rallying the team for eight points in a row. The team closed out the final point of the set, and the Royals won a clean 3-0 to start the season.

               The next day saw the Bearcats start off differently. They took the first set off of the Royals, knocking them down with a score of 25-21. With their first set loss of the 2016-2017 season on the books, the Royals turned on the style.

               The next set they came back swinging hard, taking the set with a score of 25-18. The third set saw no sign of slipups either and the Royals really took it to the Bearcats, finishing the set 25-17. They would close out the game from there, not letting the Bearcats back into the game, and winning the game with a score of 3-1.

               The men also opened the season this weekend, playing against the Bearcats at home as well. The team's opening lineup balanced experience and youth, and the team's energy reflected that. Johnson Yi lead the squad on the court with a huge serving streak that rallied the team five points, as well as huge blocks and kills at the moments the team needed them. The Royals took the set, 25-21.

               The second set saw stellar serving from rookie Zackery Thielmann as he swung his team into five point lead. Mike Howeren also had a massive set for the team, killing the ball at nearly every opportunity he got, giving his team the set 25-21.

               The Royals were on the verge of their first win, but couldn't find a way to close out the game, and surrendered their first set loss of the year to the Bearcats, losing in the third with a score of 25-21. The home team would come roaring back in the fourth, but the Bearcats would not go down. They would take the set 25-23 to force the fifth deciding set.

               The game went the full length, as both teams traded points in a tense fifth set. But in the end, the home crowd propelled the Royals to their first win of the season, with the fifth set going to them, 16-14.

               The next game was much more in the Royals favour.  A statement set to open the game saw the Royals blow away the Bearcats with a score of 25-15. The second set was much closer, but the Royals still found a way to climb out on top, taking it 25-21. Down to their last set for the second time in as many days, the Bearcats made their final stand, taking the score past 25 to eventually force a fourth set and avoid the sweep. But the Royals were determined to avoid losing their lead for the second night in a row, and the team cleaned up the game, taking the fourth and final set, 25-18.

               It was a huge couple of games for Johnson Yi, who led his team to their tough wins this weekend. Here's what he had to say on the weekend: "We were at the right times and the right places. I think we could still do better, and I think I could still do better but it was awesome to help the team get the win. Anytime I can help my team get the energy up, or get them pumped up is good. It helps everyone".

               Rookie Mike Howeren also made a huge splash in his debut for the Royals squad.  This is what he had to say about his debut performance: "I feel I did pretty well. I mean I hit the tape a couple of times but the ball went down, and a point is a point. As a team I feel we came together well at points, but when times get tough, we have to make that more consistent. I was a little nervous at the start of the game, but after I put that first ball down it was smooth sailing for me. It's a blessing to be able to play with those guys, and be able to start with them. I worked really hard to get where I am, and I really appreciate the reward of being in the starting lineup for the home opener".