Friday, Jan. 11: No. 8 Cascades (8-4, 3rd in PACWEST) vs. No. 12 Camosun Chargers (8-6, 4th in PACWEST), 6 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 12: Cascades vs. Chargers, 1 p.m.
Envision Financial Athletic Centre
Webcast: pacwestbc.tv

The Cascades women's volleyball squad opens the calendar year with a bang, hosting the Camosun Chargers in a clash of nationally ranked teams. UFV is No. 8 in the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) rankings, while the Chargers check in at No. 12.

The two teams split a pair of four-set matches in Victoria in the fall, with the host Chargers winning on Oct. 26 before the Cascades bounced back to win the rematch the next day.
Camosun got the jump on the semester, opening last weekend against the Douglas Royals – ranked No. 2 in the CCAA at the time – and earning an impressive win on Friday followed by a four-set loss on Saturday.

"It's rested vs. tested," Cascades head coach Mike Gilray said, looking ahead to the match-up. "They got to get some of their rust off vs. Douglas last weekend, and they were able to pull a five-set win.

"We're preparing to see Camosun at their best," added Gilray, whose team won its last four games of 2018. "I watched them live on Saturday, and they did some great stuff. Their setter is doing a great job of running a fast offence. Our girls are ready to go. We had a good intra-squad game last week – I was really happy with the quality of play at both sides of the net, and the speed it was played at was exciting. We're going to have to knock off the rust and be OK with being a little ugly to start against Camosun. We're looking to be consistent for longer periods of time, and we want to build on how we ended last semester."

This weekend's results will go a long way towards determining playoff seeding – both teams come in with eight wins, but UFV has two games in hand.

Players to watch: Third-year setter Kara Williams has been outstanding for the Cascades. She's kept the offence clicking, building great chemistry with high-volume left sides Amanda Matsui and Kim Bauder. That Matsui and Bauder rank first and third, respectively, in the conference in kills per set is a testament to the great work Williams has done. On the other side of the net, Gilray identified third-year middle Megan Ireland as a potential difference-maker. One of the best at her position in the league, Ireland exited the first game between the two teams due to injury, but she's since returned and gives the Chargers a new look.