The University of the Fraser Valley men's volleyball team saw its playoff hopes snuffed on Thursday in a four-set road loss to the Columbia Bible College Bearcats.
The Cascades and Bearcats came into the weekend home-and-home series with matching 1-21 records, with one last PACWEST playoff berth up for grabs between the two of them. CBC, however, held a 5-3 edge in the first tiebreaker – head-to-head sets won/lost. As such, UFV could afford to lose one of this week's matches vs. the Bearcats, but in no less than five sets.
The Bearcats came from behind to grab the first set 26-24. The second went the way of the Cascades 25-18, but CBC would take the next two by scores of 25-22 and 25-21 to seal the match and punch their post-season ticket.
With the Bearcats (2-21) now owning an 8-4 edge in head-to-head sets won, the Cascades (1-22) can no longer catch them even if they win Friday's season finale at the Envision Financial Athletic Centre.
"Unfortunately we just didn't rise to the occasion the way we needed to in order to keep the season alive," UFV head coach
Kyle Donen said afterward. "We fell a little flat when we needed a bit more so it's a tough loss to swallow."
The Cascades – playing without team captain
Ben Friesen due to injury – took a 21-17 lead in the first set, but a side out and a five-serve run by CBC's Trevor Koch allowed the hosts to grab a 23-21 advantage and they would win it 26-24.
UFV fought back in the second, building a 19-14 lead on their way to a 25-18 set victory. CBC snatched an early 9-1 lead in the third which they would extend to 18-7, and despite a massive push from the Cascades, their comeback attempt would fall just short as the Bearcats held on 25-22.
The Bearcats built a 20-16 edge in the fourth on their way to the 25-21 set victory.
Landon Uy posted a team-high 11 kills for the Cascades, while
Josh Fefchak and
Justin Peleshytyk each had seven.
Shubdeep Wander had 14 digs.
Jacob Molitwenik paced the Bearcats with 16 kills, and Jakob Boschmann had 10.
The Cascades volleyball teams conclude the regular season on Friday against the Bearcats at the EFAC (women 6 p.m., men 8 p.m.), featuring Senior Night festivities for graduating fifth-years
Adam Frederickson of the UFV men's team and Kim Bauder of the women's squad. The on-court ceremony will be held immediately after the women's game, prior to the men's warm-up.
"These are the types of games that show character and hopefully we show that kind of character and fight tomorrow," Donen said. "One guy in particular (Frederickson) is finishing things off so the guys will play for him, for themselves, and for their teammates."
