Fraser Valley/Edmonton (Jordie Arthur) – Women’s Volleyball: Cascades cruise to seventh straight victory in 3-0 win over Griffins
Edmonton, AB – Just like the previous night, the U SPORTS No. 5 ranked UFV Cascades jumped out to big leads early in each set on their way to a 3-0 (25-12, 25-17, 25-19) victory over the MacEwan Griffins on Saturday.
As it happened:
The Cascades came out of the gate hot, quickly building a 20-9 lead in the first, before closing it out 25-12.
It was a similar story to start the second, as UFV went up 15-5. The Griffins fought to get back within five at 22-17, but three straight points from the Cascades closed out the set.
The Cascades picked up a 10-4 advantage in the third, but the Griffins managed to come one point shy of levelling it at 12-11. UFV once again pulled away 20-14. From there the teams traded runs with the Cascades finishing off the match 25-19.
Top performers:
Emily Matsui had a great game for the Cascades defensively. The libero posted 17 digs as she continues her excellent campaign that currently has her sitting second in Canada West in both total digs and digs per set.
Gabrielle Attieh had another fantastic performance for UFV as she notched 10 kills, 12 digs, and five aces in the win.
Mariah Bereziuk led the Griffins with eight kills and five digs, while Megan Foxcroft recorded 13 digs in the loss.
Quotable:
Cascades head coach Janelle Rozema
“Emily [Matsui] played a very solid match defensively for us, and Lauren Attieh was very solid offensively. Our middles Mo [Likness] and Alicja [Hardy-Francis] did an excellent job at their block assignments and game plan.”
“I am very proud of the foundation that we are working hard to establish here, but I think it’s important we don’t get ahead of ourselves, and we stay on each task.”
Where they sit:
The Cascades picked up their seventh straight victory and made it 11 wins in their last 12 to improve to 11-5 on the year. Meanwhile, the Griffins fall to 2-14 this season.
The Cascades are back in action next Friday and Saturday as they head to Kamloops to take on the TRU WolfPack.
Men’s Volleyball: Cascades drop five-set contest to Griffins
Edmonton, AB – The UFV Cascades saw their playoff aspirations take a blow, as they fell in five sets (15-25, 25-18, 21-25, 25-22, 15-13) to the MacEwan Griffins on Saturday.
As it happened:
The Cascades jumped out to a 14-6 lead in the first on their way to close it out 25-15. The Griffins rebounded in the second, building leads of 16-11 and 22-16 before taking it 25-18.
UFV grabbed an 18-14 advantage in set three on the way to the 25-21 set win, but MacEwan battled back again to take a 20-15 lead in the fourth before finishing it off 25-22 to extend the match.
The teams traded blows in the fifth to find themselves even at 13, but the Griffins managed to secure the final two points to take the match 15-13.
Top performers:
Jefferson Morrow led the Griffins with 14 kills, 11 digs and two blocks, while Alexei Walisser had 13 kills, and seven digs.
Nimo Benne led the Cascades with 23 kills and six digs for the Cascades.
Quotable:
Cascades head coach Nathan Bennett
“We were just fighting the process the entire night and things came a bit easier for them, but they played a better defensive game than we did, they transitioned the ball better than we did, and I think they passed better than we did, so MacEwan was the better team tonight and they deserved to win.”
Where they sit:
The loss drops the Cascades to 4-12 on the year, while the Griffins picked up their first win of the year to move to 1-15 this season.
The Cascades are back in action next Friday and Saturday as they head to Kamloops to take on the TRU WolfPack.
Women’s Basketball: Cascades bounce back to secure weekend split with Dinos
Abbotsford, BC – Rookie Bernie Leda led all scorers, as the UFV Cascades defeated the Calgary Dinos 66-54 to earn a weekend split on Saturday night at the UFV Athletic Centre.
As it happened:
It was a tightly contested first half with the Cascades building a nine-point lead early in the second quarter, but the Dinos clawed back to trail 34-30 at the half.
UFV took control in the third, outscoring the visitors 21-10 in the frame. The Cascades led by as many as 20 in the fourth and despite a late push from the Dinos the hosts held on for the 66-54 win.
Top performers:
Bernie Leda led all scorers with a career-high 13 points, as the rookie guard made her first Canada West start. Leda added four assists and three steals on the night.
Natalie Rathler made a big impact for the Cascades, as the captain collected 12 rebounds and 11 points for the double-double. Teammate Deanna Tuchscherer added 11 points and seven rebounds, while Nikki Cabuco notched 11 points of her own.
Amélie Collin and Annacy Palmer each picked up nine points to lead the Dinos on the night, while Mya Proctor added seven points and eight rebounds in the effort.
Quotable:
Cascades guard Bernie Leda
“It was a very chippy and gritty game, and we never backed down once today, so it was awesome to win a really hard-fought game like that. Individually I think we are all really skilled, so I think that that should show on the scoresheet. Everyone should be able to chip in and do their part as soon as they get on. “
“I came to this team because I felt like this team would treat me like family and I could earn their respect and trust to pull of these kinds of numbers. For me its about giving them all that I can and being the best I can be in my role.”
Where they sit:
The Cascades improve to 9-3 with the victory, while the Dinos now drop to 10-4 in Canada West play.
Next up for Calgary is a weekend set at home against the Saskatchewan Huskies, while the Cascades will play host to the TRU WolfPack next Friday and Saturday in Abbotsford.
Men’s Basketball: Cascades fall victim to early quarter runs in loss to Dinos
Abbotsford, BC – Runs in the early parts of the second and third quarters proved to be the difference as the UFV Cascades dropped a 90-76 decision to the Calgary Dinos on Saturday at the UFV Athletic Centre.
As it happened:
The Cascades led by two at the end of the first, but a 19-8 run at the start of the second gave the Dinos a 38-29 advantage midway into the second frame.
The Dinos started the third quarter with a 10-2 run to make it 59-46 on their way to the 90-76 win.
Top performers:
Matthias Klim led the way at both ends of the court for the Cascades. The second year forward scored a season-high 14 points, while adding nine rebounds, and adding four blocked shots.
Mason Foreman had a dominant performance for the Dinos, putting up a game-high 29 points and three steals, while also picking up seven boards.
Quotable:
Cascades head coach Joe Enevoldson
“I thought we fatigued out, but that’s Canada West, that’s back to backs. I thought their best players were their best players tonight, and kudos to them, they came in on the road and got a split. We just have to keep getting better in practice every day.”
“I thought Matty [Klim] had a great weekend overall. He was amazing. He’s shown incredible growth. He’s been arguably the most improved player I have ever coached, and he keeps growing and getting better, improving his basketball IQ and taking good shots.”
Where they sit:
The loss drops the Cascades to 5-7 on the season, while the Dinos improve to 6-8 with the win.
Next up for Calgary is a weekend set at home against the Saskatchewan Huskies, while the Cascades will play host to the TRU WolfPack next Friday and Saturday in Abbotsford.
