Mo Likness is a fourth-year middle on the women’s volleyball team (WVB) at UFV. The Cascades are currently first in Canada West, one win ahead of UBC, with a 7-1 record. Likness has recorded 38 kills, 19 blocks, and five aces so far this season, and was the RBC On Campus Player of the Game on Nov. 16 against the Thompson Rivers University WolfPack. The WVB team returns to the UFV Athletic Centre on Jan. 17 and 18, to take on the University of Calgary Dinos.*
~~Do you take an umbrella to class?~~
No — I’m scared of umbrellas — I just don’t like the way they close.
If someone wants to hold it for me, perfect, [but] I’m not going anywhere near an umbrella.
~~Who’s the hardest player to block in practice?~~
Talia Attieh, she’s hard. She’s hurt my fingers a couple times. I hate blocking her.
~~What school does it feel the best to beat?~~
UBC … they’re always top dogs, and it gets annoying.
We beat them last year, and it was one of the best feelings ever. I always want to beat them. We went to five sets … past 15 because it just kept going back and forth — back and forth — eventually we got it, and the whole gym went crazy. It was insane! One of the best feelings.
~~Who are your favourite athletes?~~
Andi Jackson; she’s on the Nebraska [volleyball] team … she’s a really good middle.
She was kind of underestimated last year, and this year she’s being looked at as the potential player of the year. I love her demeanour out there, [there’s] something about her … she plays so confident.
Outside of volleyball, probably Caitlin Clark — she’s a freaking killer. I’m a big hockey [fan], so Conor Garland [too]; I love the Canucks. He is so small … and I love how he gets into everything, he’s just zooming around on the ice, and he’s always in the middle of it.
~~What’s your favourite Aubrey Gingles cheer?~~
When I’m serving she goes, “You got this Mo!”
She’s so good; we [have] little pins we give out, and she got [one] for having such good bench presence — she’s the best — she’s also one of my best friends.
~~Do you have any cheat day meals of choice?~~
Olive Garden … [I’m a] big Olive Garden girl.
I’ll absolutely go to Langley … I’m not [a pasta addict], which is the weird thing, but Olive Garden just gets me. I eat pasta at home, but that’s not my go-to… [but] Olive Garden? I’ll go there every day.
~~What song fires you up the most pregame?~~
“Only” by Nicki Minaj, Drake, and Lil Wayne. I have to listen to it.
I’m really into [rap], but only on game days. Every other day, I’m more country, and 70s and 80s, but, [for] anything volleyball it has to be rap. It kind of just happened a few years ago … and I’m like — okay … I’m a rap girl — I have to listen to it.
~~Who is the most underrated player on your team?~~
I’d say Kinna [Fisher], because she’s small. She’s very small for being a setter, but she has crazy volleyball IQ. She’ll be blocking up at the net sometimes, and she’ll get these crazy touches that not even I can get.
~~What do you do after games?~~
Friday nights we do Subway, and on Saturday nights we do Freshslice pizza. Me, my mom, my aunt, and my cousin, we all go. I don’t know why we started [that], but we did, and it’s just stuck.
~~Who on your team has the most dawg in them?~~
Lauren Attieh, she’s got that dawg in her. Sometimes I’m like, “oh shit,” but it’s a good dawg.
~~What does “the Cascade way” look like in volleyball?~~
Not letting any ball hit the floor; just going for everything.
We take pride in our game plan. That’s a really big thing about Cascades volleyball, we want to follow our game plan and get it down leading up to the game. We [watch] video on Mondays and Wednesdays; we take pride in that.
Inspiring the community too … trying to build that. Bringing in the fans and inspiring all the little ones and everything.
Q&A has been edited for length and readability.
