Friday, Nov. 29: No. 7 Cascades (7-5, 3rd in PACWEST) vs. Capilano Blues (3-9, 6th in PACWEST), 6 p.m.
North Vancouver, B.C.
Webcast: pacwestbc.tv

As they look to close the semester on a winning note, the UFV women's volleyball team will seek a measure of revenge against the Capilano Blues.

The two teams clashed in a home-and-home series earlier this month (Nov. 8-9), and the nationally ranked Cascades opened with a four-set win in Abbotsford. The next night in North Vancouver, though, they were upset victims, as the Blues earned a four-set win on the strength of an outstanding defensive effort.

"They come in with energy, and they're going to be scrappy," UFV senior libero Cassidy King said. "They play good defence. It comes down to being patient and waiting for our moment to have our big attacks. We just have to make sure that we make smart choices with the balls that we're given."

The Cascades are coming off a productive bye week which saw them take a deep dive into fundamental skills.

"We've trained hard and paid very close attention to detail," King said. "We had technical director Pierre Baudin come in and he picked apart our technical skills. Going into this weekend, we're focused on applying those details into gameplay and pulling it all together."

Players to watch: Cascades head coach Janelle Rozema hasn't hesitated to lean on her depth this season, and nowhere is that more apparent than at the setter spot where Kara Williams and Sarah Brownlee have both seen extensive playing time. Starter Williams, a fourth-year player from Mission, B.C. who serves as one of the Cascades' team captains, averages 5.69 assists per set. Brownlee, a Langley, B.C. product who transferred to UFV after a year at Briercrest College, has seen action in 28 of the Cascades' 47 sets thus far and gives opposing teams a different look. She's averaging 3.68 assists per set. The Blues have gotten strong play from first-year outside hitter Eva Nagata, who hails from the Faroe Islands. Her 11 kills were a team-high in the Blues' win over the Cascades on Nov. 9, and she's averaging 1.86 kills and 2.21 points of total offence per set.