Redemption is a central theme this season.
After falling to Alberta in the 2024 CW bronze-medal match, UFV responded with an electric 17-3 regular season in 2024-25, finishing first in the conference. That momentum ended with an early playoff exit, a result that still resonates within the program.The stakes are especially high for a veteran group playing its final year together. Fifth-year players Lauren Attieh, Cailin Bitter, Zoe Arca, Kinna Fisher, and Sydney Wright aim to close their careers with a statement and are determined to leave behind a legacy defined by resilience.
Attieh leads the team with 27 service aces, while Bitter has recorded 586. Key contributions from Naomi Unger (54 blocks), Mandi Feist (134 digs), and Talia Attieh (209 kills) have anchored the Cascades throughout the 2025-26 campaign.
UFV’s 10-10 record isn’t what fans have come to expect, but the Cascades have shown they can compete with the conference’s top teams.
In early November, UFV split a weekend series with the defending CW champion, the Alberta Pandas, earning a five-set victory before falling in another five-set match the following night. The Cascades later earned splits against nationally ranked Thompson Rivers and Saskatchewan — the team that ended UFV’s playoff run last season.
Canada West remains one of the most competitive conferences in U SPORTS, and securing a national championship berth is never guaranteed. This marks UFV’s second-worst record since joining the conference in 2021-22, placing the Cascades in unfamiliar territory. Still, with experienced leaders such as the Attieh sisters and Bitter, UFV remains a dangerous postseason opponent.
The Cascades enter the playoffs as the seventh seed and will face the tenth seed MacEwan Griffins in a best-of-three play-in series.
MacEwan improved to 7-13 this season after finishing 3-17 in 2024-25. The Griffins’ major step forward was led by fifth-year setter Payton Shimoda, who has 625 assists, and outside hitter Ayshia Bryks who has 278.5 points. MacEwan comes into the contest on a cold streak since the calendar flipped over to 2026, going just 3-7 with two of their victories coming against the last place Brandon Bobcats.
Since 2021-22, UFV has a perfect 9-0 record against the Griffins through exhibition, regular season, and post-season contests.
Luckily for the Cascades, UFV will be hosting the series at the UFV Athletic Centre. UFV has played much better at home this season at 7-4 compared to 3-6 on the road. MacEwan had a respectable 5-5 record at home while going 2-8 on the road which is tied for second-worst in the conference. The programs last met in the playoffs during the 2023-24 CW quarterfinals, when UFV swept MacEwan with a pair of 3-1 set victories in the best-of-three series prior to their bronze medal loss to Alberta.
If the Cascades advance, they will face UBC with a CW Final Four berth at stake.
