ABBOTSFORD, B.C. – Trinity Western defeated Fraser Valley in straight sets on Thursday night at the UFV Athletic Centre, winning 25-15, 25-22, 27-25 in the opening game of the 2025-26 Canada West regular season.
TWU's
Maryn Boldon had a match-high 15 kills to go with nine digs, while
Sienna Driedger put together an impressive offensive effort with 12 kills and a hitting percentage of .526 across three games.
Tayana Dmitruk facilitated the attack with 27 assists while also collecting eight digs.
Kaylee Plouffe added eight kills, nine digs and three blocks for the Spartans, who slotted in fourth in the Canada West preseason coaches poll.
UFV, who topped last year's Canada West regular season standings and were ranked fifth in the CW preseason coaches poll, were led by Mandi Feist with 13 kills and a .267 hitting percentage, while also adding two blocks and finishing with 14.5 points. Talia Attieh added nine kills with a .304 hitting percentage, one service ace, and four digs, accumulating 10 points.
TWU hit .261 as a team, while holding UFV to a .161 hitting percentage.
The Spartans had a 40-29 edge in digs, while UFV had a 6-4 advantage in blocking.
QUOTABLE
Ryan Hofer, TWU Head Coach
"I'm really proud of the team and how they have worked to prepare for this match and the time and the energy that they each have contributed. It was a great team effort for tonight. One stand out was Sienna. She played outstanding and just filled her roll, while Maryn took a heavy load for us and performed really well. Full props to
Mikayla McBain, who just solidified our serve receive and it was a great night overall. It was good to see the hard work we've been putting in on defence is starting to pay off. I'm proud of the fight and resilience we showed in all circumstances against a team that we have a lot of respect for."
NOTABLE
• TWU is 15-2 all-time against UFV, with both losses coming in 2024-25.
• The Spartans were 4-1 in preseason, including a three-set win over UFV in the quarter-finals of the West Coast Classic.
UP NEXT
The Spartans return to Langley on Friday night for their home-opening game against UFV at the Langley Events Centre. First serve is at 5 p.m. The game will be streamed for FREE on www.cbcsports.ca and on Telus Ch. 1997 as the Canada West Game of the Week.
AS IT HAPPENED
Trinity Western began the first set with a steady start, as
Sienna Driedger contributed two early kills, setting the pace against UFV. The team capitalized on several UFV errors and a strong block by
Tayana Dmitruk and
Payton Lightfoot, which helped to extend their lead.
A service ace by Stothart prompted a UFV timeout, but the visitors stayed in control, closing the set with a decisive kill by Plouffe to secure a 25-15 advantage.
TWU gained momentum early in the second set after
Sienna Driedger and
Kaylee Plouffe executed consecutive kills, contributing to a 7-4 advantage, prompting a timeout by UFV. TWU extended their lead to 15-9 with a series of impressive plays, including another kill from Plouffe and a service ace from Lightfoot.
UFV rallied to level the score at 17-17, capitalizing on attack errors from TWU. However, Trinity Western regained control with decisive plays from Boldon, who delivered crucial kills to regain and maintain the lead. Boldon's final kill sealed the set for Trinity Western with a 25-22 victory, closing out the set with a strong finish.
TWU began the third set with momentum, establishing an early lead through effective kills by Plouffe and Stothart. A service ace by Stothart and consistent play by Boldon helped Trinity maintain a slight edge. As the set progressed, TWU capitalized on UFV's errors and maintained their lead with decisive kills from Driedger and Boldon. A timeout by Trinity Western at 18-16 helped refocus the team, allowing them to extend their lead to 20-16. UFV rallied late to tie the score at 21-21, but the set concluded with Trinity Western overcoming UFV's challenge, ultimately closing out the set 27-25 with a decisive kill from Boldon.
About Spartan Athletics
As official members of U SPORTS, the Spartans currently compete in 11 sports in the Canada West conference, including women's and men's soccer, volleyball, basketball, hockey and track & field, as well as women's rugby sevens. TWU also competes in NAIA in cross country and track and field and as an independent team in men's rugby and women's and men's disc golf. Since TWU entered U SPORTS in 1999, the Spartans have won 14 U SPORTS team championships and 34 Canada West team championships.
About Trinity Western University
Recognized for quality, TWU has received seven consecutive A+ rankings for Quality of Teaching and Learning, holds three Canada Research Chairs, and wins national championships in CIS sports. More importantly, lives are changed at TWU through its whole-person, Christ-centred approach to education. With a wide array of undergraduate, graduate, and adult degree-completion programs, TWU equips leaders of character and competence to make a positive impact in the lives of others.
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