Friday, Nov. 8: No. 6 Cascades (5-3, 2nd in PACWEST) vs. Capilano Blues (1-5, T-6th in PACWEST), 6 p.m., Envision Financial Athletic Centre
Saturday, Nov. 9: Cascades at Blues, 5 p.m., North Vancouver B.C.
Webcast: pacwestbc.tv

The UFV women's volleyball team moved up one spot in the national rankings to No. 6 after splitting with a fellow nationally ranked squad, the Camosun Chargers, last weekend. The Cascades dropped a four-set decision in the opener, before bouncing back to win in three straight.

"I think our confidence has really increased," UFV middle Sedona Arabsky said, noting the impact of Saturday's much-improved performance. "We weren't proud of ourselves the first day (vs. Camosun), so it was a little kick in the butt for us. I think our motivation has increased as well, and I think that brings out more confidence. We're so excited to keep going and just play."

This week's opponent, the Capilano Blues, come in with a 1-5 record and will be keen to make some headway and solidify themselves in a playoff position.

"We've been noticing that they use different lineups every set and every game, so it's going to be a surprise throughout the whole weekend," Arabsky said of the Blues. "We don't want to take any team lightly, even if they are 1-5. We're learning new things as a team . . . we need to be optimistic, but respect our opponent as well."

Players to watch: Third-year left side Amanda Matsui has been a reliable offensive contributor for the Cascades. The two-time PACWEST all-star totalled a team-best 23 kills over last weekend's series with Camosun, and she ranks third in kills (3.17/set) and fifth in total offence (3.62 points/set) in the conference. The Blues are led offensively by Meghan Koven, who ranks 12th in the league in kills (2.14/set) and total offence (2.67 points/set).