ABBOTSORD, B.C. — The defending Canada West champion Winnipeg Wesmen opened their title defence with a victory over the University of the Fraser Valley Cascades, going 3-0 (25-15, 31-29, 25-21) in their season-opener Friday night at the UFV Athletics Centre. 

Luke Lodewyks made no errors and finished with seven kills on 14 swings, and Jaxon Rose had a match-high 10 kills and five digs as the Wesmen won their season-opener for the ninth straight season. 

The Wesmen have won each of their season-openers since 2016 and in Friday's debut they got hot early, fought off a pesky Cascades squad in the middle set and largely controlled the decisive third. 

The Wesmen held UFV to -.029 in the first set as the Cascades made 10 attacking errors. Winnipeg led 9-6 in the first set before winning six of the next eight to take control.

The Cascades were able to mount a charge in the second set, hitting at a .361 clip and wiping out a four-point deficit late in the set. Trailing 22-18, UFV came back to make it 23-22 and, after a Kian Bos service error put Winnipeg on the verge of claiming the set, the Cascades fought off two set points to equalize at 24-24. The Wesmen had five more set points foiled by the home team before another Bos service error and an Aidan Hruska ace put it to bed.

In Set 3, the Wesmen won six of the first eight points, watched UFV eventually pull back even at 10-10, and later ran off four straight points to break a 13-13 tie and take a 17-13 lead. 

Hruska added seven kills of his own and setter Alex Krykewich had 30 assists as the Wesmen hit .272 for the match, including .400 in the second. 

Comrie Engbers and Roan McCarthy had nine kills apiece for Fraser Valley, which fell to 0-3 on the season. The Cascades are still looking for their first set win of the season after getting swept twice last weekend at Trinity Western. 

The two teams meet again Saturday at 8 p.m. PT in a match that can be seen on Canada West TV.