Abbotsford, BC – Mandi Feist and Lauren Attieh combined for 37.5 points in the match, as the USPORTS No. 3 ranked UFV Cascades defeated the No. 4 ranked TRU WolfPack in a battle of two of the nation's best. 

The Cascades closed out the match with set scores of 25-15, 17-25, 15-25, 25-19, and 15-10 to improve to 6-1. UFV dealt TRU their first defeat of the seaon on Friday, as the visitors fell to 4-1 on the year. 

How it Happened:
The teams traded points early in the opening set, finding themselves tied up at 12 apiece, but UFV would take over from there. The Cascades scored 13 of the final 16 points in the frame to take it 25-15.

TRU battled back in the second, getting momentum off early kills from Maria Dancheva, as they flew out to a 6-1 advantage. UFV pulled the deficit back to four on multiple occasions, but late kills from Brooklyn Olfert and Hailey Ward gave TRU the set 25-17.

The WolfPack built on their momentum from the second, grabbing a 16-7 lead early in the third. Despite a late UFV push, TRU cruised to the 25-15 set win. 

Both teams traded runs early in the fourth, but with the match on the line UFV slowly built up a five-point lead. Two kills each from Feist and Attieh in the late stages allowed the Cascades to finish it off 25-19 and force a decisive fifth set.

As was the case in much of the match, the teams played each other tight at the start of the set, to see the score tied up at six. A short service run from Alicia Hardy-Francis gave UFV a four-point advantage at 10-6. TRU closed the margin to two late, but two kills from Attieh set up the match winner from Hardy-Francis as UFV came out on top.

Notable:
Lauren Attieh led the Cascades with 17 kills, while Feist added 16 kills and three aces in the match. Setter Cailin Bitter had a strong game for UFV with 30 assists, and 18 digs, to lead the match in both categories.

Brooklyn Olfert had a match-high 21 kills for TRU, and Rida Erlalelitepe had nine. Hadley Schmidt had 29 assists.

Quotable:
UFV outside hitter Mandi Feist 

"We knew it was going to be a good game, but coming up against those internationals – we had to trust or defence and our blocking. It was a crazy win. We worked hard for it in practice, and I think we deserved it."

"I think we play even better in the second night because of the adjustments we make an video. I think we are going to come out strong tomorrow and hopefully with energy all the way through."

Up next:
The Cascades and WolfPack face off again tomorrow afternoon for the second match of the weekend series against the Thompson Rivers University Wolfpack at 3 p.m. 

UFV students get free admission to all UFV Cascades home games with their student card, and you can keep up with all the action at gocascades.ca, or by following the UFV Cascades on social media at @ufvcascades