The Battle of Abbotsford, as the crosstown rivalry matches between the University of the Fraser Valley and Columbia Bible College have become known over the years, lived up to its billing last weekend.
In a home-and-home set, impressive upsets were registered on both the men's and women's sides.
The CBC Bearcats men's squad is going into the playoffs as the top seed in the PacWest conference, sporting a 16-8 record. But the UFV Cascades, who will miss the playoffs with an 8-16 mark, illustrated the league's incredible parity this season by knocking off the 'Cats in four sets on Friday at the Envision Athletic Centre.
When the scene shifted to CBC on Saturday, the Bearcats bounced back to win in three straight sets.
The story was similar on the women's side – the underdog CBC squad pushed the defending national champ Cascades to the limit on Friday, winning the first two sets before UFV rallied to win in five. But the next day, they finished the job, winning in four.
Both teams are headed to the playoffs. The fifth-place Bearcats (7-17) face the No. 4 Camosun Chargers (12-12) in the quarter-finals on Thursday, while the No. 2 Cascades (20-4) have a bye into Friday's semis and await the winner of the Capilano Blues and Douglas Royals.
The PacWest volleyball men's and women's playoff tourneys run at Capilano University in North Vancouver.
