Royals rally to defeat Cascades

An explosive start gave way to a fizzling finish for University of the Fraser Valley men’s volleyball team on Friday evening.

Hosting the CCAA No. 5-ranked Douglas Royals at the Student Activity Centre, the Cascades blitzed their guests 25-12 in the first set behind some lengthy service runs from veteran flame-throwers Joel Kleingeltink and Adam Chaplin.

But the Royals showed their quality, posting a decisive victory of their own (25-13) in the second set, and finishing off the match by scores of 25-22 and 25-13.

Douglas improved to 17-4, good for second place in the PACWEST, while the fourth-place Cascades fell to 12-9. The two teams lock horns again on Saturday (7 p.m., Student Activity Centre).

“We played incredible in the first set, then they bounced back, and we didn’t respond in the right way,” UFV head coach Kyle Donen said. “I think we let our emotions get the best of us.

“We need to focus on being better tomorrow. We showed what we’re capable of, which is good. We just need to be more consistent.”

Dan Kinvig,  UFV Cimmunications Coordinator