The University of the Fraser Valley men's volleyball team dropped a hard-fought five-set decision to the UBC Okanagan Heat in exhibition action on Saturday afternoon in Kelowna.

The Cascades took two of the first three sets, but the hosts rallied to win the fourth and fifth, taking the match 24-26, 25-19, 19-25, 25-14, 15-11. 

Afterward, UFV bench boss Nathan Bennett noted that the weekend of competition at UBCO – including a Friday evening scrimmage – goes a long way toward giving his team a picture of what the Canada West regular season will be like. The Cascades are scheduled to launch their inaugural CW campaign in Kelowna, taking on the Heat in their conference openers, Nov. 5 and 6.

"The Heat did a good job on their side tonight," Bennett said. "On our side, we battled, and it was really good to see their team in their gym before the real thing. This was the dress rehearsal, and I'm looking forward to when the season starts. 

"I think everybody played really well – take out the fourth set, and I think we had a well-rounded match. But that's going to come with our experience, being on the floor and playing other teams."

Up next, the Cascades men's volleyball program hosts its home exhibition tournament. The event runs this coming week at the UFV Athletic Centre, with the Cascades playing Thursday vs. Brandon (6 p.m.), Friday vs. UBC (7 p.m.), and Saturday vs. MacEwan (8 p.m.).