Every return to classes brings with it new possibilities, opportunities, dynamics, challenges, and stories to uncover — for the UFV Cascades, it’s no different. With the arrival of the new academic year came the exciting arrival of new members for the Cascades’ women’s basketball team. With a stacked match lineup just on the horizon for the Cascades, now is the best time to get familiar with the names of the athletes that will be playing for UFV against the likes of the University of Victoria (UVic) Vikes, the University of British Columbia (UBC) Thunderbirds, the Trinity Western University (TWU) Spartans, and more!
The Cascades’ women’s basketball team welcomed their new athletes with a fun dynamic in their social media that highlighted each teammate’s personalities by sharing more about their lives outside of basketball. This is a great opportunity to get an inside look at their teambuilding at work and connect with the team, especially with its newcomers. Here are two of the confirmed new team members, what we know about them, and what the other rookies have shared with the public so far.
Signed in advance for the 2026/27 season and announced on Mar. 23, Kylie Saranchuk from Maple Ridge Secondary School enters the team sporting the number 14. Measuring 6’0”, her assigned team position is forward. As shared on the team’s social media post, she aspires to become a radiologist when she grows up, and does baking in her free time, listing it as one of her hobbies. Regarding favourite food and colour, there is an answer for that too: it’s the colour blue and alfredo!
Also signed in advance and sporting the number 13 is Ella Jay from Monte Sant’Angelo Mercy College located in Sydney, Australia. Much like her new teammate, she also measures 6’0” with her position, too, being forward within the team. Her commitment to the Cascades was announced early for the 2026/27 season, becoming public on March 26. Through their recent team post, the audience got to learn some of Jay’s likes outside of basketball. Her aspiration is to become a business owner once she grows up, and mentioned her best friends are her teammates. The book series she enjoys the most is The Hunger Games, her favourite colour is red, and her favourite food is a good bowl of spag (spaghetti). Yet another fun coincidence is that Jay shares a hobby with Saranchuk — baking.
Another early sign for the basketball team’s 2026/27 roster, having shared her signed confirmation in November of last year, is Macie Svehla. She comes from Chilliwack, entered the team to take the number seven, she came from GW Graham Secondary, and became the team’s 5’9” forward. For the post, she took a wholesome approach to the question of who her best friends are — she answered “teammates.” She also shared that she wants to become a speech pathologist when she grows up, that poutine is her favourite food, spikeball is her hobby, and blue is her favourite colour.
Last but not least, Jocelyn Boyes joins the team as the player with the number two, taking the position of point guard. She also announced her signing into the team last year in November, and comes from her hometown’s Pitt Meadows Secondary. She heartwarmingly shared that her best friends are her teammates, an answer that ties nicely into her aspiration to one day become a teacher. Just like Svehla, she also likes the color blue and enjoys spikeball. She also shared her favourite food with the audience, a true classic — hot dogs!
As the school year begins, many adventures remain to be discovered, and it is just a matter of time before the women’s basketball team starts writing UFV Cascades’ history. It may be worth keeping an eye out for these rookies as they grow into their new roles, with the added touch that when their names get mentioned, we shall remember that we got to know a bit about them as people through the original, creative bits they decided to share!
