EDMONTON - Lauren Attieh had a season-high 24 kills to lead the UFV Cascades (3-2) to a thrilling 3-2 (16-25, 25-19, 19-25, 25-22, 15-13) comeback victory over the U SPORTS No. 1 ranked Alberta Pandas (4-1) on Friday night at the Saville Centre.

Lauren Attieh, reigning CW first-team all-star, paced all players with the 24 kills, while Mandi Fiest had a good game as well for the visitors, posting 11 kills amidst five service aces. Alberta third-year Abby Guezen was busy and effective, posting a team-high 17 kills.

The Cascades had to battle back to deliver the first defeat of the season to the top-ranked Pandas, who at one point were up 15-6 in the fourth set and on the verge of victory. However, behind Attieh, some strong net play, and strong serving, they were able to win their third-straight in Edmonton after sweeping the series last season.

UFV''s Lauren Attieh noted after the game that the team always believes they can come back in these tough matches. 

"When sometimes a team is ahead of us, the belief is never gone," Attieh explained. "We always believe we can come back, and this game was just true Cascades fashion."

It was an exciting start to this one, as both sides went on a series of runs that featured some phenomenal volleyball. First, a 7-3 opening run from the visiting side capped off with two straight kills from Naomi Unger, but the Pandas would respond with a 7-0 run of their own to grab the lead mid-set. The squads would inch forward until Guezen stepped up to the line and ripped off four service aces on a 7-0 run to lead to a 25-16 Alberta victory. 

The second set was just as thrilling, as the teams were in lockstep almost the entire way. The largest lead of the set was just two, with UFV up18-16. Mandi Feist would then score four of the ensuing five kills and add a service ace as the visitors grabbed a 23-18 lead. Alberta errors and a big UFV block closed out the frame.

The Cascades played heavily through Lauren Attieh in the third set, and to largely great effect, as the fifth-year outside hitter led the frame with six kills as the visitors looked to grab the all-important middle set. However, Guezen and the Pandas would hold UFV to just a .075 attacking mark as they outlasted Attieh and the Cascades with a 25-19 set win.

The fourth set looked to be an Alberta victory lap, which at one point they led 15-6, but a strong effort from the Cascades pushed this game to a fifth and final set. Feist found a kill to regain serve for UFV before firing off three aces to level the set at 20. From there a pair of Lauren Attieh kills and an Alberta error finished it off as UFV won 25-22.

The Cascades opened up a 7-2 lead in the fifth, on the back of some extremely strong service. Guezen and Laila Johnston would not let the Pandas die that easily though, and Alberta battled back to trail 14-13. Talia Attieh, taking a set from Cailin Bitter who finished with 37 assists, finished the job for the Cascades however with a kill for the set and match 15-13.

The teams return to action tomorrow for their last matchup together in the regular season.