Unforced errors were the University of the Fraser Valley women’s volleyball team’s undoing on Thursday evening, as they dropped a three-set decision to the Capilano Blues.
In a match-up of nationally ranked teams at Capilano’s North Vancouver campus, the hosts prevailed by scores of 25-19, 26-24 and 25-23.
Monique Huber had a strong return from injury for the Cascades, notching four kills on eight swings. (Northfield Photography file photo)
The match pivoted in the second set – the CCAA No. 7-ranked Cascades built a 24-22 lead, but the No. 11 Blues fended off two set points and ended the frame on a 4-0 run to take a two-sets-to-none stranglehold. In the third, UFV battled back from a 24-19 deficit to draw to within 24-23, but Capilano made good on their fifth match point to seal the victory.
The Blues boosted their record to 11-8, while the Cascades fell to 10-7.
“We were struggling to find rhythm,” UFV bench boss Mike Gilray analyzed. “We had so many unforced errors, and we need to be way more consistent. But even with that, we were in the game.
“It seemed like at key points in the game, we’d let them go on a run and all of a sudden we’re down by five. We were making anywhere between 10 and 13 errors (in each set), and you can’t win in this league giving that many points away.”
Fifth-year middle Monique Huber returned to the lineup after missing the previous four games due to injury and was a bright spot for the Cascades, registering four kills on eight swings. Libero Cassidy King had a team-high 13 digs, and setter Olivia Heinen had 30 set assists.
After a day off, the UFV and Capilano volleyball programs reconvene in North Vancouver on Saturday (women 6 p.m., men 8 p.m.).
Gilray noted that his squad struggled with their passing early in Thursday’s match, and once they straightened that out, attacking errors became an issue.
“When one thing was working, the next one wasn’t,” he observed. “The day off might be an advantage. We’ll come back ready to play on Saturday.”
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