KELOWNA, B.C. - For the second straight night, the UBC Okanagan Heat women's volleyball team took one of the best team's in the country to five sets as they rallied from two sets down before falling in five (17-25, 23-25, 26-24, 25-19, 11-15) to the U SPORTS No. 6-ranked UFV Cascades on Saturday night at the UBCO Gymnasium.

After falling behind two sets on a night in which the Heat celebrated their four graduating seniors, Abigail Dueck of Winnipeg, Helen Lacava of Mandaguari, Brazil, Sarah Hall of Kelowna, B.C., and Thea Gremmen of Kelowna, B.C., UBCO would dig deep to extend the match in the third set.

A crucial timeout from head coach Steve Manuel midway through the third set allowed his team to regroup and following the timeout, Amaya Perry of Chin, Alta., made her presence known by putting down two crucial kills to level the match at 14. Battling for each point, the momentum shifted towards the Heat as Perry was determined for victory, securing down two more kills and an ace to close the match, bringing her team back into the contest.

In the fourth set, an early advantage proved decisive for the Heat, as they established a five-point lead over the Cascades. This initial jump propelled them to force the match into the fifth and deciding set.

The fifth set unfolded with a tense exchange of points until Talia Attiah of the Cascades, hailing from Surrey, B.C., unleashed another impressive serving display, including a crucial ace, as the Cascades managed to hold off UBCO in a fifth set for the second straight night.

TOP PERFORMERS
Amaya Perry - UBCO
The fourth-year outside hitter had another monster performance for the Heat, finishing with 17 kills, a serving ace, two assists and 20 digs for a total of 19.5 points.

Talia Attiah - UFV
The second-year outside hitter would lead the Cascades to victory, tallying 13 kills with a .333 hitting percentage, eight serving aces, and 12 digs.

WHERE THEY SIT
Following the defeat, the Heat sit at 9-13 on the season but continue to hold down the seventh seed in the Canada West conference. They also gained a crucial point in the standings thanks to their rally to force a fifth set as they sit one win up on five other teams as the push for the playoffs continues. Meanwhile, the Cascades add another win to their 13-game win streak and hold the second place position in the conference with a 19-3 record.

UP NEXT
The Heat will close out their regular season on the road as they travel to Edmonton to take on the MacEwan Griffins (11-11). UBCO will be pushing for victories as they look to wrap up a playoff berth in Edmonton for the second straight season. The weekend doubleheader gets underway on Friday, February 16 with first serve set for 6:30 p.m. (PT) live on CanadaWest.tv.