A busy week for the UFV volleyball teams will be highlighted by Senior Night celebrations. The women's volleyball team will honour Stephanie Demeules on Thursday, and Amanda Matsui and Sadie Wilson on Sunday. The men's team, meanwhile, will celebrate Justin Peleshytyk and Graham Walkey on Sunday. The volleyball senior ceremonies will be held pregame, and fans are reminded to be on time to celebrate with these athletes.

Thursday, Feb. 17: Cascades (5-7, 4th in West Division) vs. No. 1 Trinity Western Spartans (11-1, 1st in West Division), 8 p.m., UFV Athletic Centre
Friday, Feb. 18: Cascades at Spartans, 6 p.m., Langley Events Centre
Sunday, Feb. 20: Cascades vs. UBC Okanagan Heat (6-4, 3rd in West Division), 6 p.m., UFV Athletic Centre
Monday, Feb. 21: Cascades vs. Heat, 3 p.m., UFV Athletic Centre
Webcast: CanadaWest.tv presented by Co-op

THE MATCH-UPS

The Cascades, looking to improve their playoff seeding, play their last four regular-season games over a five-day stretch.

They begin with a massive test – a Thursday-Friday home-and-home series vs. the nation's top-ranked team, the Trinity Western Spartans. The two teams clashed in Langley back in December, with the Spartans winning in three sets both nights.

The UFV squad, after a day off, welcomes the UBC Okanagan Heat in a rare Sunday-Monday series, making up a pair of dates that were postponed in January. The Cascades met the Heat in Kelowna in early November to open their Canada West tenure, dropping both games. Yet the Heat, just ahead of the Cascades in third place in the West Division, are within striking distance down the stretch.

RECENT FORM

The Cascades saw a four-game win streak snapped last weekend, as the UBC Thunderbirds came into the UFV Athletic Centre and earned a sweep.

Trinity Western has won eight in a row, with the lone blemish on their record coming at the hands of UBC in late November.

UBC Okanagan has played just four games since the calendar flipped to 2022, and they've lost three in a row, including a pair at TWU two weeks ago.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Amanda Matsui, Stephanie Demeules and Sadie Wilson, UFV – A trio of graduating athletes will be honoured with pregame senior celebrations this week – Demeules on Thursday, and Matsui and Wilson on Sunday. Matsui, a Port Coquitlam, B.C. product, is among the Cascades' all-time leaders in kills, and she's continued to excel as the program transitioned from the PACWEST to Canada West this season. She ranks among the conference's most dynamic offensive players, averaging 3.67 kills per set. Demeules, likewise, has been a pillar of the program from its days in the collegiate ranks to its current status in the nation's top university league. The libero from Chestermere, Alta. has also made an impact off the court with her community involvement, and she's served two years as president of the Cascades' Student Athlete Advisory Council. Wilson, after previous stops at Vancouver Island University and Mount Royal University, has found a home at UFV. The Vancouver product has been a Cascade for three years, but was only able to make her on-court debut this season – she'd redshirted in 2019-20 after transferring, and the 2020-21 campaign was lost to COVID-19. But Wilson has made the most of her time this season, ranking second on the squad in kills per set (1.66).

Savannah Purdy, TWU – The Spartans' offensive leader (3.24 kills per set, eighth in CW) showed her quality in the December match-ups vs. the Cascades, totalling 22 kills over the two TWU victories and leading her team in kills both nights.

Sydney Grills, UBCO – The Heat outside hitter has two games of 20-plus kills this season, and she excelled against the Cascades back in November, with games of 12 and 17 kills on back-to-back nights. She's fifth in the conference in kills per set (3.53).

QUOTABLE

"I think it's definitely going to be emotional – it's been four years of making so many great memories. But I also think it's going to be exciting to finish off my U SPORTS career in our gym. Being at UFV and being in the gym is going to bring back memories of everyone I've met here. My time here has meant more than just playing on the court. It's reaching out into the community, being a role model – everything that encompasses being a UFV Cascade." – Stephanie Demeules, looking ahead to Senior Night

"I definitely think because of our conditioning, we're prepared for a heavy weekend load. It's going to be exciting mixing new people into the lineup, and we have the type of depth on our team where we can do that. It's not something we've done before, but I think we're up to the challenge." – Demeules, on playing four games over five days