Friday, Nov, 23: No. 9 Cascades (6-4, 4th in PACWEST) vs. CBC Bearcats (0-10, 7th in PACWEST), 6 p.m., Envision Financial Athletic Centre
Saturday, Nov. 24: Cascades at Bearcats, 5 p.m., Columbia Place
Webcast: pacwestbc.tv

The University of the Fraser Valley women's volleyball team has won four of its past five matches, rising to No. 9 in the CCAA national rankings in the process. They look to carry that momentum into the final competition weekend of the fall semester.

While the Bearcats are still in search of their first win, UFV head coach Mike Gilray knows that anything can happen in this always-competitive crosstown clash. CBC came within a whisker of winning last weekend, taking the CCAA No. 2-ranked Douglas Royals to five sets before succumbing 15-11.

"I think CBC is exactly like Camosun was last year," Gilray said, alluding to a youthful 2017-18 Camosun Chargers squad which finished 1-23 despite competing well throughout the season, and is off to a 7-3 start this fall. "CBC is a good team – they just pushed the No. 2-ranked team in the country to five sets. They're just on the wrong side of the bounce right now. I think they're one win away from going on a winning streak, and I wouldn't be surprised at all to see them in the playoffs. I'm just hoping that their winning streak starts in January.

"Duncan (Harrison, CBC head coach) has a bunch of good young kids, and they're hungry for their first win. If we don't prepare like we have every week until now, then we'll be on the wrong side of that bounce. They're going to come in hard."

Players to watch: Cascades setter Kara Williams, in Gilray's estimation, "represents everything it means to be a Cascade." After spending most of her previous two seasons at UFV as a right side, the Mission, B.C. product worked extremely hard over the summer to transition to the setter spot full-time, and she's had a great start to the season. Cascades left sides Amanda Matsui and Kim Bauder rank one-two in PACWEST for total offence, and Williams merits a share of the credit for their success as she's kept the offence clicking. The Bearcats have been paced offensively by rookie Jacy Weijdeman – the outside hitter out of Sardis Secondary leads her squad in kills (1.85/set).