The UFV Cascades men's volleyball team started strong on the road on Friday, but it wasn't enough as they dropped a four-set decision to the Brandon University Bobcats. Setter Max Paddock played his last game as a Cascade in the contest, as he returned to the court for UFV in his hometown. 

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The result moved the Cascades to 6-9, while the bobcats improve to 5-8 this season. 

How it happened:
The Cascades hit .632 with no errors in the opening set, as they battled the Bobcats. The teams went back-and-forth early on, but UFV took advantage of a late kill and ace and a few timely Brandon errors to close out the frame 25-21.

Brandon went up 11-8 in the second set, before they pushed the advantage to five on a Philip Lauter kill. Back-to-back Ryden Hargreaves aces made it 18-11, as the Bobcats evened up the match.

After the Bobcats went up 15-12 in the third, kills from Jonas Van Huizen, and Nimo Benne pulled UFV back level. 4 J. Van Huizen aces gave the Cascades a lead, but Brandon responded with three-straight points to even it up once again. The teams battled to 27 apiece, before a service error allowed Brandon's JJ Love to end the set with an ace.

Brandon won the race to 20 in the fourth, but the Cascades battled back, forcing the score to 23-22 in favour of the Bobcats, but the hosts fought off the comeback bid, closing it out on a Lauter kill, 25-22.

Notable:
Jonas Van Huizen led the way for the Cascades, scoring 18 kills and a .311 hitting percentage, while Nimo Benne had 16 kills on .367 for the night. Setter Silas Van Huizen had 40 assists in the effort.

UFV's Max Paddock, who has been away from the team this season after being hired by the Regina Pats hockey team, was put into the game early on and picked up an assist in his final game as a Cascade in his hometown. 

Quotable:
UFV head coach Nathan Bennett

"I thought we were grinding our way through the match, we had our opportunities but just had some uncharacteristic moments at some inopportune times that really became the difference in the match with the close sets we were in".

"It was great to have Max [Paddock] there to celebrate his senior night, and he got in and got an assist which was nice. The boys celebrated Max after the game, so it was great he could be there, and be a Cascade one last time".

Up Next:
The two teams will battle again on Saturday, with the first serve set for 3pm PT, live on Canada West TV.