Winnipeg – Women’s Volleyball: Cascades season comes to an end with five-set loss to Wesmen
It was a series that deserved to end in a fifth set, but the University of the Fraser Valley women’s volleyball team saw their season come to an end in the Canada West quarterfinal with a 3-2 loss (19-25, 25-23, 22-25, 25-18, 8-15) to the Winnipeg Wesmen.
The Wesmen now advance to a Canada West semifinal series against the Trinity Western Spartans that starts Thursday in Langley, B.C.
In a similar fashion to game one of the series, the Cascades struggled at the service line. In the loss on Friday they made 14 service errors, and Sunday they committed 18.
“It kinda goes back to Night One and what we’ve been battling with all weekend long was our serve game,” UFV head coach Janelle Rozema said. “We worked so hard to be physical in every other aspect of our (game), and then when we’re making that many errors from the service line, it’s pretty tough.”
After going down 2-1 in the match, the Cascades fought back to take the fourth set and force a decisive fifth. UFV battled back again to wipe out a three-point deficit in the final frame to even it at 8-8, but the resilient Cascades squad ran out of steam as the Wesmen finished the match with a seven-point run.
“I think the experience we had, the fifth-year kids on the floor showed in crucial situations,” Wesmen head coach Phil Hudson said. “That’s what experience does, it allows you to deal with the pressure and situations. Our fifth-years came through. Ashleigh and Emma played amazing and Haille was fantastic, too.”
Ashleigh Laube was one of three Wesmen players to post double digit kills and digs, leading the way with 14 kills and 16 digs. Emma Parker, Selva Planincic and Haille Bujan each had 10 kills. Parker had a team-high 19 digs, and Planincic added 17.
Gabrielle and Lauren Attieh combined for 140 swings for the Cascades, with Gabrielle Attieh notching match-highs of 22 kills and 20 digs. Lauren Attieh added 16 and 15, and Natalie Lemoine-Sells had 13 and 15.
Cascades libero Emily Matsui posted 19 digs in another solid defensive showing, while setter Cailin Bitter finished the match with 16 digs and 41 assists.
The playoff loss ends the UFV squad’s second season in Canada West, in which the team bounced back from an 0-4 start to finish the regular season level with Winnipeg on an 18-6 record.
“I’m really proud of our season in general” Rozema said.
“One weekend on the road doesn’t define all that we’ve accomplished, and so I think this is an excellent experience for our group and an excellent message to volleyball in Canada that we’re here, and we’re not just here to exist. We’re here to compete.”
