LANGLEY, B.C. – Trinity Western knocked off local rival Fraser Valley 3-0 (25-23, 25-20, 25-22) in the Spartans home-opener to complete a weekend sweep of the Cascades Friday at the Langley Events Centre.
Maryn Boldon led the Spartans (2-0) with 16 kills, while
Kaylee Plouffe had 13 kills and four blocks. Setter
Tayana Dmitruk guided a TWU offence with 24 assists to go with 11 digs, helping the home side hit .312 on the night.
Sienna Driedger added five kills and 11 digs.
The Cascades (0-2), who hit .115 for the match, were led by Lauren Attieh, who had 11 kills while Mandi Feist had six kills.
TWU won the blocking battle, with nine blocks to the Cascades three, but UFV had a 10-1 edge in aces.
The Spartans were the more efficient side in all three sets, hitting .226 in the first, .357 in the second and .353 in the third set. Across the net, the Cascades hit .000, .152 and .200.
QUOTABLE
Ryan Hofer, TWU Head Coach
"One of the things I really love about Canada West is each weekend is a challenge and each opponent is a challenge and the coaches are making adjustments every night. Tonight, both teams were adjusting to last night and it was a fun battle at home. I thought both teams played well. UFV served us really tough tonight and we had to weather some storms, but I'm proud of our receivers for not letting it get to them. Tayana delivered the ball well and we are learning what it takes to attack at a high level each night. Maryn and Kaylee handled a heavy volume and attacked really well this evening."
NOTABLE
• TWU is 16-2 all-time against UFV, with both losses coming in 2024-25.
• The Spartans are now 3-0 against the Cascades this year, including a three-set win over UFV in the quarter-finals of the West Coast Classic preseason tournament.
• The Spartans are 6-1 this season, including preseason wins over Manitoba, Mount Royal and UBC.
UP NEXT
The Spartans have a bye next weekend before travelling to play the University of Winnipeg Oct. 31-31 at the Duckworth Centre.
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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