Confidence is a delicate balance. Too much can lead to underestimating an opponent, while too little can cause the most talented players to doubt themselves on the court. But for the Cascades, the challenge is staying committed to their process and keeping their attention firmly on the game at hand, not the future. Veteran outside hitter Talia Attieh, now in her third season at UFV, has experienced first-hand the depth of competition that the conference has to offer.
“This is Canada West,” Attieh said. “Every team has something to bring to the game. We never judge a team by their record. We prepare the same for every team, and we go out there bringing our best game and our highest standard.”
The Cascades brought their A game to start the 2026 portion of the season against Brandon, earning back-to-back 3-1 victories led by Attieh’s 30 kills across the two matches. The results marked a sharp contrast to how 2025 ended. After sweeping UBCO to improve to 5-3, UFV entered Calgary with perhaps too much confidence, and came back down to earth after a pair of heartbreaking losses to close out the year. Being swept to end the first half gave the Cascades something to reflect on heading into the new year.
Head Coach Janelle Rozema hopes that future victories can instill confidence into the team once more.
“When you haven’t won in a while, we were starting to miss the feeling of winning. Being able to remember what it feels like and actually see it take form helps us believe that our process can result in winning.”
A weekend sweep of Brandon was a much needed start to 2026, as the Cascades now face a daunting gauntlet to close out the season. Road trips to fourth nationally ranked Thompson Rivers and 12th ranked Saskatchewan are followed by a return to Abbotsford to host third ranked UBC and defending U SPORTS champions 11th ranked Manitoba. The path to the postseason will not be easy. Still, despite the demanding schedule ahead, UFV should have no shortage of confidence that it can compete with anyone in Canada if it stays true to its identity.
“I don’t think we finished the first semester how we would have liked,” said Attieh. “Coming into this semester, we wanted to key in on skills that were lacking. I think finding our flow state’s a key theme [for us]”
Confidence has to be earned. In a league as competitive as Canada West, no opponent can be taken lightly, and every match can swing either way. But, if the Cascades continue to capitalize on the opportunities in front of them, belief will not be in short supply in the Fraser Valley as the team pushes toward the playoffs.
