Cassidy King lines up a serve on Saturday vs. Capilano.
The Capilano Blues came roaring back from a two-set deficit on Saturday evening to hand the University of the Fraser Valley women’s volleyball team its first loss of the season.
At the Envision Financial Athletic Centre, the host Cascades took the first two sets by scores of 25-21 and 25-20, but struggled with their passing and serving in the third as the Blues got on the board with a 25-17 win. Capilano rode that momentum to a 25-16 triumph in the fourth, and completed the comeback by a 15-9 count in the fifth.
The Cascades (3-1) added the first loss to their ledger, while the Blues evened their record at 2-2.
Rookie setter Olivia Heinen has run the offence efficiently for the Cascades this season.
“We struggled with our serves and our passes, and it affected us,” Cascades head coach Mike Gilray said. “Serves are something we spend considerable time on, and it has been a strength for us this season, but we had extra offensive pressure pushed on us, so we let our guard down.
“I thought they had unbelievable energy, but we had some mental lapses. The girls got tight and played safe and unfortunately it caused us to lose our momentum.”
Left side Kim Bauder and middle Teagan Johnstone sparked the Cascades offensively in the first set, and they pulled away late to win it. The Blues struggled at the service line early in the second, spotting the Cascades a 7-2 lead, and UFV’s Amanda Matsui built on that momentum as the hosts went up two sets to none.
Capilano jumped out to a seven-point lead in the third set, prompting substitutions from the Cascades, but they were unable to slow the Blues as they took the third and fourth to square the match. In the fifth, UFV had some bright moments offensively as libero Karissa Marazzi’s digs allowed setter Olivia Heinen to set up several successful kills, but ultimately the Blues were a little sharper and earned the weekend split. UFV was coming off a four-set win over Capilano on Friday.
Stat highlights for the Cascades included four aces from Matsui, 21 digs from Marazzi, and nine kills from Bauder.
The Cascades volleyball teams are back at the Envision Financial Athletic Centre next weekend to host the Camosun Chargers. Games run Friday (women 6 p.m., men 8 p.m.) and Saturday (women 1 p.m., men 3 p.m.).
– by Raelyn O’Hara, Cascades student communications assistant
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