The University of the Fraser Valley women's volleyball team continued to impress in the preseason, topping the host Calgary Dinos in exhibition tournament action on Saturday evening.
It was the second time in a week that the Cascades and Dinos had clashed, with Calgary havingÂ
claimed a five-set triumph at a similar tourney in Kamloops, B.C. on Oct. 17.
The rematch went UFV's way, by scores of 25-12, 25-19, 23-25 and 25-22.
The Cascades wrap up the Calgary tourney on Sunday morning at 9 a.m. Mountain time vs. the Regina Cougars.
"We played really steady and composed," UFV head coach
Janelle Rozema analyzed. "We scored big points, but we also really controlled our amount of unforced errors. I think we also played our best volleyball at the right points of the game. It was good timing."
After dominating the first set, the Cascades fell behind in the second but mounted a comeback, with tough serving from rookies
Zoe Arca and
Cailin Bitter and fourth-year veteran
Amanda Matsui helping to turn the tide. The Dinos bounced back to win the third, but the UFV squad – benefitting from a big game from right side
Sadie Wilson to stretch the Calgary defence – closed it out in four.
"We were really brave from the service line and put their passers in trouble, and our defence made it difficult to score," Rozema said, reflecting on her team's second-set rally. "We did a really good job of keeping the ball off the ground, and turning it back into really hard balls coming back the other way."
The Cascades are gearing up for their Canada West regular-season debut, Nov. 5-6 at UBC Okanagan.
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