The University of the Fraser Valley women's volleyball team got into the win column in Canada West in memorable fashion, spoiling the UBC Thunderbirds' home opener at War Memorial Gym on Friday evening.
The Thunderbirds are the reigning U SPORTS champions, having won the national crown the last time it was contested in 2019. The Cascades, meanwhile, are in their first U SPORTS season, and came into Friday's action with a banged-up roster – starters
Amanda Matsui and
Mo Likness were among the UFV players sidelined.Â
Yet in front of a packed house for UBC's Pride Night, the Cascades (1-2) came through with a tough-minded performance, toppling the T-Birds (0-1) in four sets (26-24, 22-25, 25-23, 25-21).
"I'm just so proud to say that I think we belong, and I think we measured up to one of the best teams in the league," UFV head coach
Janelle Rozema said afterward.Â
"It was a really cool atmosphere . . . it was an honour to be part of that environment. It could have been something to distract us, but we were really steady and composed. We had a bullet-proof game plan, and even though we're a young team, our athletes kept level heads."
In the first set, the Cascades flexed their resiliency – trailing 24-21, they staved off three set points, ultimately scoring five points in a row to win the set 26-24.
Zoe Arca's serving was instrumental to the comeback – she put pressure on the T-Birds, and notched a pair of aces including one to close out the set.
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In the second set, UBC led 16-12 at the technical timeout, but left side
Grace Warkentin led a UFV surge as they grabbed a 21-19 lead. The hosts, though, were able to battle back and take it 25-22 to square the match at a set apiece.
The third set was a mirror image of the first – UBC appeared in control, up 23-20, but the Cascades rallied thanks to some strong serving. This time it was
Elizabeth Baird getting hot at the line – she closed out the set with back-to-back aces as UFV reeled off five straight points and prevailed 25-23.
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In the fourth,
Sadie Wilson came through with a quartet of kills in quick succession to help UFV grab a 22-20 lead, and
Kristen McBride took over from there, accounting for the Cascades' last two points of the match via kills of her own.
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"It means something, in the sense that it's the first U SPORTS win in our history," Rozema said. "The resiliency is on a whole different level, when we're playing one of the best teams in Canada West, in their gym, when we're hurting. Winning in four is a huge accomplishment, for sure.
"We talked after the match that we feel we can put anyone on the floor and be successful. But having said that, with the injuries that we currently have on our team, when a teammate is hurting, we hurt for them.
"We were super-tough tonight, though. Our mentality is that volleyball is a one-point by one-point game, and that was definitely what we applied today. One-by-one is what we call it. One point at a time, and you can find your way back into a set, and winning a set, that way."
UFV boasted a balanced attack on Friday, as all three outside hitters – Warkentin (16), Wilson (15) and McBride (11) – registered double-digit kills.Â
Wilson and libero
Emily Matsui tied for a team-high with 14 digs, and McBride added 11 of her own.
Rozema lauded the play of rookies Matsui and setter
Cailin Bitter. Matsui, in the words of her head coach, played a "ridiculous" defensive game, while Bitter, who racked up 40 assists, ran a "gorgeous" offence.
"They both had their breakout game," Rozema enthused. "Both of them connected tonight."
Claire Cossarini paced the T-Birds with 13 kills and hit .500 on the night, while Erika Vermette and Cara Kovacs contributed 12 and 11 kills, respectively.
The two teams wrap up the weekend series at War Memorial on Saturday at 5 p.m. (CanadaWest.tv).
- with files from UBC Athletics
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