The University of the Fraser Valley men's volleyball team started strong, but could not hold on as they dropped a five-set decision to the College of the Rockies Avalanche on Sunday afternoon at the Envision Financial Athletic Centre.
The two teams had clashed the previous night with
the Cascades prevailing in three sets, but it was a much different story on Sunday with the Avalanche securing the win by scores of 21-25, 25-18, 21-25, 25-23 and 15-8. With the win the Avalanche improve to 2-4, while the Cascades see their record drop to 3-3.
"I thought our level of engagement wasn't where it needed to be today," UFV head coach
Nathan Bennett said. "We had opportunities against a road-weary team, and this was a chance where we really could have put them away. But we let them back in, and good teams take their opportunities like they did. I commend them for their effort. COTR did a good job."
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In the first set the Cascades picked up where they'd left off the night before, building a 21-15 lead off tough serving by
Graham Walkey and
Landon Uy, before closing it out 25-21.
The Avalanche bounced back in the second, jumping out to a 17-9 advantage, before finishing it off 25-18.
Shubdeep Wander came alive for the Cascades in the third. The third-year outside hitter had three kills and three aces early to stake his team to a 9-3 lead, but the Avalanche fought back to square it at 11 apiece. The teams traded points in the middle portion of the set but with the score at 21-20 in favour of the Cascades,
Dylan Neudorf came through with a critical block and then a kill, extending their advantage to 23-20. A Wander kill would seal it, 25-21.
The Cascades looked to be in control in the fourth set, leading 20-17 after Wander hit back-to-back service aces. However, the visitors fought back once again to level the score at 23, and Caleb Peters secured a block and a kill in quick succession to finish it 25-23.
Peters continued to come up big for the College of the Rockies in the fifth, serving for four straight points to give his team a 9-3 lead. The visitors would not give up this edge and the clinched the decisive set 15-8.
Wander was dominant at the service line, finishing with seven aces for the Cascades and adding nine kills. Walkey registered four aces and 31 assists. Uy posted a team-high 14 kills,
Justin Peleshytyk had seven, and Neudorf and
Caleb Kastelein had five apiece.
Peters had a huge game for the Avalanche, hammering 17 kills on 26 swings and posting a .500 hitting percentage. Gustavo Bertoli also notched double-digit kills with 12.
The Cascades volleyball teams are back in action next weekend at home, hosting the Camosun Chargers in a Friday/Saturday set.
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