The UFV women’s volleyball team came into the Envision Financial Athletic Centre looking for a pair of wins this past weekend after their previous weekend saw both a win and a loss. They accomplished that, sweeping the College of the Rockies not only in back-to-back games, but also in sets (3-0, 3-0).
The first set that took place Saturday night was largely representative of the weekend. The Avalanche had no problem starting strong, and jumped out to a lead; however, the Cascades got back to only one point down on a timeout from the visiting team. After the 10-11 score for the Avalanche at the timeout, they went on a sizable run, largely due to excellent blocking. UFV was then in the backseat, calling a timeout at the 11-17 score mark. From this point on UFV would go on a heroic run, moving to 17-19, tying the game at 20-20, taking the lead the following play, and ultimately winning the set 25-21.
The second set saw the College of the Rockies fight hard early on to get the momentum back, and with the score at 8-4 for UFV, a massive series of plays ensued in which the Avalanche came out victorious. With the momentum taken back, it seemed as though they would go on a run, but the Cascades stayed patient and committed to their star players. The visiting team called a timeout at the 16-7 score mark and it was clear that UFV had completely taken over the set. Finishing out the set at 25-16, it appeared that the Cascades were in the driver’s seat going forward.
The third set was more of the same. UFV used massive contributions from #12 left side Kim Bauder and #9 left side Amanda Matsui to consistently edge out ahead of the College of the Rockies. UFV won the third set by a score of 25-19 and won the game three sets to none, making that the second straight game they won without giving away a single set.
Their second encounter on Sunday saw the Cascades reverse the Avalanche’s ability to start strong, going up 10-5 in the opening set which was then followed by a timeout from the visiting team. UFV switched gears from the night prior, winning by a score of 25-12 in the first set. UFV started the second set strong with big contributions from Amanda Matsui, #16 middle/right side Kiera Fisher, and #17 middle Lauren Poirier. The College of the Rockies called timeouts at the 12-9 and 20-13 score marks, but UFV would remain in control. Amanda Matsui unfortunately went down in the second set with a bad ankle injury and had to be helped off the court in tears, but her contributions stayed firm and the Cascades won the set 25-18. We wish Amanda a speedy recovery!
In the third set, the Cascades would have to win without their star left side. The College of the Rockies called a timeout at the 9-6 score mark and then again at the 15-8 score mark. UFV remained composed and committed to the task at hand, winning the set 25-17.
“We love our depth,” volleyball head coach Mike Gilray said to Dan Kinvig, communications coordinator, after the game. “It’s something we’ve talked about with our middle group — if we want to stay healthiest and have the freshest legs going into the end of the year, we’ve got to use that to our advantage.”
The Cascades now head to Vancouver Island for a matchup with the VIU Mariners, going back-to-back on Jan. 25 and 26.
Image: Dan Kinvig (UFV Athletics)
