The University of the Fraser Valley men's volleyball team showed some fight on Saturday afternoon, pushing the Vancouver Island University Mariners in the first and third sets, but the Mariners kept them at bay to complete a weekend sweep.

The Cascades built a 24-22 lead in the first set and had three set points, but the Mariners fended off all three and surged ahead to take it 28-26. That knocked the wind out of the UFV squad – they dropped the second set 25-16, and while they mounted a push in the third, VIU closed out the match by a 25-22 count.

"I thought we definitely had more fight in the first set, but we have to learn to finish games, for sure," Cascades head coach Nathan Bennett said afterward. "We have to take those opportunities. 

"I think we allowed the end result in the first set to really hinder our performance in the second set – we didn't come out with any positive emotion. And then in the third, we did well – we were in the fight, which is what I ask them for."

The Cascades were paced offensively by right side Landon Uy (nine kills) and left side Caleb Kastelein (eight kills). Uy and setter Graham Walkey tied for team-high honours with five digs apiece. 

Braydon Brouwer did much of the damage for the Mariners, posting a game-high 13 kills, and Dario De Queiroz-Pereira added seven kills.

The Cascades volleyball teams are back in action next weekend as they host the College of the Rockies Avalanche in a Friday-Saturday set at the Envision Financial Athletic Centre.