The University of the Fraser Valley women's volleyball team dropped a heartbreaker on Friday evening, falling in five sets to the Capilano Blues at the Envision Financial Athletic Centre.
The Cascades turned in a solid all-around performance, but the match broke the Blues' way by scores of 25-18, 17-25, 26-24, 19-25 and 15-11. The result leaves UFV and Capilano with matching 8-12 records.
"Although it's still a loss on our record, it's still a big step forward in the direction we want to go," Cascades head coach
Janelle Rozema said afterward. "We actually beat them in every stat category, except for digs, but we just gave away points at the wrong time of the match.
"I told them to go celebrate, because I feel like it's been a heavy weight on their shoulders, just trying to get the win. You're not trusting the process when you're not celebrating. We improved in every stat category from last weekend."
The Cascades started well, racing out to a 7-2 lead in the first set, but the Blues battled back to level the score 9-9 after back-to-back Daphiny King kills, and they pulled away late to take the early advantage.
UFV once again came out flying in the second, building a 5-0 lead with
Chelsea Kidd at the service line. They extended the lead to 15-8 after a pair of quick kills from
Kristen McBride, and though the Blues made a push, the hosts finished off the set on kills from
Lauren Poirier and Kidd.
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In the third, the Cascades held a 20-17 lead in the late going, but the visitors stormed back to draw even at 21-21 and would eventually earn a 26-24 decision on a Samantha Wright ace.
The teams exchanged points throughout the middle of the fourth set, but back-to-back kills by
Sedona Arabsky gave UFV a 21-18 advantage.
Amanda Matsui chipped in with three consecutive kills of her own before Poirier sealed it with a block, 25-19.
In the fifth, Arabsky notched back-to-back kills on two occasions as the hosts went ahead 11-9. But the Blues took over from there, scoring the next six points to close out the match.
"We want to experience going point-for-point, going to fifth sets," Rozema noted. "But what we learned tonight is, when you're point-for-point and you're in the fifth set, you have to settle down your serve receive. Just get set up faster, talk about what's coming, and just control our contact a little more. Because I felt like the rest of our game was ready to be just unleashed. Kara (Williams, Cascades setter) was ready to go, our hitters were ready to go. It's just that first contact."
Matsui had a monster night with 19 kills and 17 digs, Arabsky had 12 kills on 20 swings, and Kidd had eight kills and 15 digs. Williams racked up 40 assists.
Meghan Koven, with 14 kills, paced the Blues' attack.
The Cascades volleyball teams are on the road next week, facing the College of the Rockies Avalanche in Cranbrook.
- by Jordie Arthur, Cascades communications assistant
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