T-Birds top Cascades 3-0

The University of the Fraser Valley men’s volleyball team dropped a three-set decision to the UBC Thunderbirds on Friday evening at the UFV Athletic Centre.

The Cascades pushed the T-Birds in each of the first two sets, only to watch the visitors pull away late to win both by matching 25-21 scores. UBC wrapped things up 25-16 in the third.

The Cascades (0-11) and Thunderbirds (6-5) conclude the weekend set on Saturday afternoon at UFV (4 p.m., CanadaWest.tv).

“We had our chances and we didn’t execute,” UFV bench boss Nathan Bennett noted afterward. “Fatigue is setting in now after this crazy month with the compressed schedule we’re dealing with, thanks to the floods last fall and COVID. More guys will get minutes as we go on here.”

The Cascades went point-for-point with the Thunderbirds for much of the first set, but UBC pulled away late to take it 25-21. Michael Dowhaniuk and Coltyn Liu were productive for the visitors, launching six kills apiece, while Nimo Benne, with four kills, set the pace for the Cascades.

UFV excelled in the early-to-middle stages of the second set, building a 16-12 advantage behind Caleb Kastelein, who racked up five kills in the set. UBC, after a timeout, responded with four straight points highlighted by a pair of Gerard Murray kills, and they would once again gain separation in the late stages to win it 25-21.

The first four points of the third set went to the T-Birds, and while UFV was able to take advantage of a series of UBC attack errors to draw even, the visitors would reel off five of the next six points, and they cruised from there.

Benne and Kastelein tied for team-high honours with eight kills apiece for the Cascades, Jonas Van Huizen posted 15 assists, and Eduardo Ferreira registered seven digs.
Dowhaniuk and Liu paced UBC with 13 kills each, and Mason Greves racked up 41 assists.