Edmonton, AB -  The Alberta Golden Bears knocked off the UFV Cascades 3-0 (25-15, 25-18, 25-17) Friday evening at the Saville Centre.

Alberta, ranked #3 in the nation last week, moved to 4-1 and sit in second place in the Canada West, while the UFV Cascades are still searching for their first win of the season at 0-5. 

How it Happened:
The Bears got off to a hot start in the first set, getting out to a 5-1 lead on a couple of Jacob Sargeant kills as the third-ranked offence in the CW wasted no time getting out to an early lead. However, the Cascades behind McCarthy would push the game to as close as 10-8 before a 10-4 Alberta run would all but seal the opener. Four Bears had a team-high four kills, while McCarthy had a set high five.

Matt Shand would lead a strong Alberta attack in the second that hit .444 to seal a 25-18 win. He recorded four kills to go with a dig as the Bears went up 2-0, leading the whole way in. The third would be no different, as after a spirited start to the frame, the Cascades would fade as the Bears took it 25-17.

Quotable:
UFV head coach Nathan Bennett

"We got to play a perennial national title contender, and they showed why they are a quality side. I thought Hudson Brandsma had a solid game overall against a quality opponent. Overall, we are looking for a little bit better effort tomorrow, which I think we can find. 

Notable:
The Alberta Golden Bears sported a hitting percentage of .464%, and were paced by fourth-year Matt Shand who finished two kills short of his career-high but led the contest with 13.

Brandsma finished the match with six kills and a .333 hitting percentage, while Roan McCarthy had nine kills, and setter Silas Van Huizen added six kills and 17 assists.

Up next:
The teams return to action tomorrow for their last meeting of the season.

To keep up with all the action follow the Cascades on social media at @ufvcascades

- With files from Connor McCallister / University of Alberta