Box Score Abbotsford, BC – The UFV Cascades got off to a good start but were unable to translate it into set wins, as the UBC Thunderbirds took home a three-set victory (25-19, 25-16, 25-23) on Friday at the UFV Athletic Centre.

The win moves UBC to 5-4 this season, while the Cascades fall to 4-5 in Canada West play.   

As it happened: 
Tough Cascades blocking helped the Cascades snag an early lead, but UBC stormed back to level the opening set at 12. The teams traded points to 17 apiece before another Thunderbirds surge helped them pick up seven of the next nine points and a Kieran Robinson-Dunning Ace sealed the set.

Both teams traded points in the second, but with the score level at 12 UBC turned up the Heat. The visitors scored six points off a Mason Greves service run, before three Reeve Gingera kills helped them take the set 25-16.

With the teams tied at 15 in the third, UFV nabbed a lead after a block and a kill from Kyle Cook.  Four straight points from UBC flipped the advantage in favour of the visitors. UBC held a 23-22 lead, and a Nimo Benne serve threatened to level the score once again, but the ball struck the top of the net before rolling across the top of the top and falling agonizingly back on the UFV side to set up match point. Benne prolonged the match with a kill, but Conaire Taub made no mistake on the second match point to end the match 25-23.

Top performers: 
Benne had a team-high nine kills and 10 digs for UFV, while Easton Sarich posted eight kills and only one error on 15 swings.  

Gingera had a match-leading 15 kills, and Taub posted 12 kills for the Thunderbirds in the victory. Logan and Mason Greves each added 12 digs.

Quotable:
Cascades head coach Nathan Bennett

"I think we were doing most of the right things, but were just weren't executing at the level that we are accustomed to. Overall, I saw some good things it's just a matter of being a bit more aggressive and playing an aggressive game."

"If we aren't intense and playing at a high level with aggression these nights are going to happen. We'll go back to the drawing board tomorrow and play at the level we are accustomed to."

Up next:
The Cascades and Thunderbirds will face-off once again on Saturday in Abbotsford. Game time is set for 5 p.m. and the match can be seen live and on-demand on Canada West TV.