Winnipeg/Fraser Valley – Women’s Volleyball: Attieh sisters combine to force game three in Canada West Quarterfinal
Sisters Gabrielle and Lauren Attieh combined for 28 kills as they completed a three-set sweep (25-20, 25-16, 25-19) of the Winnipeg Wesmen in game two of the best-of-three Canada West quarterfinal on Saturday at the Duckworth Centre.
The win keeps the Cascades’ season alive and forces a decisive third match on Sunday (11 a.m. PT) after Winnipeg took game one on Friday.
After a rough outing the previous night where UFV recorded 14 service errors and lamented their mistakes in a four-set loss, they showed their consistent play on both ends of the ball. Defensively, they notched 78 digs and held Winnipeg to .015 hitting for the match, with three Wesmen regulars hitting in the negatives.
“Volleyball’s a pretty simple game when your serve-pass game’s in tune, so I think we were a bit better, and I think we can be even better (Sunday),” UFV head coach Janelle Rozema said.
“Both sides know their opponents now, so both sides will be playing a pretty strategic match and there’s going to be great volleyball to see (Sunday).”
UFV’s Gabrielle Attieh had a game-high 20 digs, while libero Emily Matsui picked up 19 in the victory. Rookie Natalie Lemoine-Sells added eight kills and two aces to the team’s offence.
Combined, Gabrielle Attieh’s 15 kills and Lauren Attieh’s 13 made up over half the Cascades’ 45 on the day. In contrast the Winnipeg squad was held to just 26 kills in the match.
Haille Bujan led the way for the Wesmen with six kills and Emma Parker managed just five kills on 40 swings. Parker, Ashleigh Laube and Taylor Cangemi each had 15 digs.
“We looked a little slow in all aspects of the game,” Wesmen head coach Phil Hudson said. “We didn’t really serve very well. They were in-system almost all the time, and one-on-one on the outside is very difficult. And they got more production out of their middles today.”
