It was a surreal scene following the Cascades’ 3-0 defeat on that fateful Sunday afternoon. Coaches, fans, and players alike were visibly shaken up from the unfathomable series result. Despite the mismatched final score, the Cascades were within two in each of the final two sets, sending both past regulation 25 points.
UFV held a 24-22 lead in the second set, needing just one point to equal the score at 1-1, before total collapse — the Huskies stormed back to take a 29-27 set victory, going up 2-0 in the process, and closing out the final frame 26-24.
The win even caught the Huskies off guard.
“[It’s] a little bit shocking, but deep down we know we’re a strong team,” said fourth-year Outside Hitter (OH) Keely Anderson on eliminating the top seed. “We’re very proud of ourselves.”
Anderson was instrumental to the Huskies’ QF triumph — racking up 30 Kills (K) 52 Digs (D), and contributing only 8 Errors (E) in the series. Her performance earned her CW BioSteel Player of the Week honours for the week of Mar. 4.
No Cascades raised their stock more this play-off series than second-year OH Mandi Feist, continuing her ascension to CW all-stardom. Feist matched Anderson’s total of 30 K in the series, while establishing herself as a reliable two-way presence with 27 D.
On the flipside, Feist was responsible for 24 E in three games. Newly minted WVB Coach of the Year Janelle Rozema said that allowing Feist to play through her errors is paramount as the team is committed to their emerging core piece for the long haul.
“Mandy makes the right kind of errors, errors that we’re looking for when you’re supposed to be aggressive.”
The Cascades stormed out to a 25-11 blitz in the first set of the series, only for the following nine straight sets to be separated by five points or less — five of which were decided by as few as two points.
UFV dropped the next three consecutive sets of Game 1 (3-1), before winning three in a row of their own in Game 2 (3-0).
Following the conclusion of Game 3, Huskies Coach Mark Dodds shared a moment on the floor with an emotional Feist and Lauren Attieh; two players that he knows differently than most opponents.
“We’ve got a unique relationship with this team,” said Coach Dodds. “We went to Japan with them two years ago [for exhibition].”
“[It’s] my job, but I truly love the game. [Feist and Attieh] are pretty special players, so I just wanted to go tell them that I enjoy watching them play.”
The Cascades now begin the off season, while the Huskies head to Edmonton to take on the UBC Thunderbirds in the semi-finals. The University of Alberta Pandas and Manitoba Bisons round out the Final Four, with nationals beginning in Manitoba on Mar. 14.
