NO. 8 SPARTANS UPSET IN FIVE BY UFV CASCADES

LANGLEY, British Columbia – For only the second time in program history the No. 8 Trinity Western Spartans lost to the Fraser Valley Cascades dropping a five-set match Thursday night at the Langley Events Centre in Langley, B.C. The 30-28, 21-25, 20-25, 26-24, 15-13 loss drops the Spartans to 10-7, while the win moves the Cascades to 7-10. The Spartans are now 11-2 lifetime against the Cascades.
 
The Spartans are in fifth spot in the Canada West at 10-6, while the Cascades are in 10th place at 6-10.
 
Second-year outside Piers De Greeff (Victoria, B.C.) with 21 kills, and 14 digs, third-year outside Kaden Schmidt (Mississauga, Ont.) with 14 kills, four aces, and four digs, and third-year outside John Obi (Winnipeg, Man.) with a career-high 17 kills led the Spartans. Jonas Van Huizen with 20 kills, and six digs, and Nimo Benne with 14 kills, five digs, and four aces led the Cascades.
 
Fourth-year setter Anselm Rein (Erfurt, Germany) finished with 51 set assists running the Spartans’ attack, while Fraser Valley setter Silas Van Huizen finished with 41 set assists.

QUOTABLE
Adam Schriemer, TWU Head Coach
“In the first-ball in transition phase, we played well enough to win, except after 20. We had a lot of opportunities to make plays when it counted and we didn’t execute nor did we fully commit to those chances. Partnered with losing the terminal serve battle that badly, you’re never going to win. I think if we can upgrade our serve and reception tomorrow and play a little more committed after 20, we’ll have a chance.”
 
UP NEXT
The Spartans and Cascades will finish the weekend series tomorrow night at the UFV Athletic Centre. The match time is set for 6 p.m. (PT) and will be streamed live on Canada West TV.

AS IT HAPPENED
The Spartans were in total control of the opening set leading 16-10 after a Cory Schoenherr kill from the middle, and 23-17 after Jackson Corneil put TWU within two points of winning the set. But the Cascades did not go away and after a Tyson Ardell service ace had gone on a 7-1 run to tie the set at 24-24. The teams played side out till 28-28 when a TWU service error and a kill by Ardell gave the Cascades the opening set 30-28. TWU hit at .367 (17-6-30), while UFV hit at .393 (14-3-38).
 
The two teams were even through the first part of the second set. Then with TWU leading 15-14 the Spartans went on a 7-3 run to take a 22-17 lead after a Kayden Schmidt kill. TWU maintained the margin as Piers De Greef put away the second set 25-21 to even the match at 1-1. TWU improved to hit at .480 (15-3-25), while UFV hit at .316 (9-3-19).
 
The third set was similar to the second with the teams even with TWU leading 16-15. Then the Spartans used a 3-0 run to take a 19-15 lead after a De Greef kill. Fraser Valley was unable to get closer as the Trinity Western closed out the set 25-20 with Spartans Rein and Schoenherr blocking the Cascades Van Huizen to take a 2-1 set lead. TWU hit at .462 (13-1-26), while UFV hit at .241 (12-5-29).
 
The fourth set was again tight, but this time it was the Cascades who got mid-set jump. With UFV leading 15-14 the Cascades used a 6-2 run to take a 21-16 lead after a TWU attack error. TWU took three of the next four points to trail 22-19 and put UFV into a timeout. Out of the break, the Spartans again took three out of four points, to trail 23-22 after a service ace by Devin Hofsink put UFV into another timeout. An exchange of points gave UFV a set point, 24-23 after a kill by Jonas Van Huizen. A TWU service error and a kill by Nimo Benne gave the Cascades the fourth set 26-24, to tie the match at 2-2. TWU hit at .458 (12-1-24), while UFV hit at .345 (15-5-29)
 
The Spartans were in control of the fifth set early taking an 8-4 lead at the change-over after a Kayden Schmidt kill. But out of the break, the Cascades took control and used a 7-2 run to take a one-point, 11-10 lead and put TWU into a timeout. TWU could not get back to even as a kill by Jonas Van Huizen finished the set 15-13 for the Cascades and gave UFV the 3-2 win. TWU finished the set hitting .000 (5-5-17), while UFV hit at .200 (5-2-15).
 
NOTABLE 

• TWU finished the night hitting .377 (62-16-122), while Fraser Valley hit at .308 (55-18-120).
• The Spartans finished with 10.5 blocks, while the Cascades finished with seven.
• Fraser Valley had a 9-8 edge in service aces.
• TWU had 41 digs to UFV’s 33.
• TWU defeated the Cascades twice in a preseason play earlier this year. Winning 3-0 on September 20 in Abbotsford, B.C., and 3-1 on October 10 in Kamloops, B.C.
• The Spartans are currently 11-2 lifetime against the Cascades.
• The Cascades’ lone win, 3-1, was on October 20, 2023, in Langley, B.C.
• The Spartans had a bye week last weekend after splitting with the Calgary Dinos, a 3-2 win, 3-0 loss, in Calgary the week prior.
• Last week the Cascades also had a bye week last weekend. The week prior they were swept 3-1,3-1 by the Brandon Bobcats in Brandon, Man.
• The top 10 teams make the CW postseason with a play-in round for the bottom four teams in week one. The eighth and seventh place teams will be hosts for the play-in matches, with nine at eight, and 10 at seven.

 
About Spartan Athletics
As official members of U SPORTS, the Spartans currently compete in 13 sports in the Canada West conference, including women’s and men’s soccer, volleyball, basketball, hockey, cross country, and track & field, as well as women’s rugby sevens. TWU also competes as an independent team in men’s rugby. 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 U 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.
 
-TW-