UVU Volleyball snapped their three game losing streak in dominant fashion, beating Seattle U 25-13, 25-6, 25-18, in a commanding three set sweep of the Redhawks.
The first set started off as a defensive battle, it was tough for any team to find a significant advantage as blocks, digs and long rallies were frequent in the opening points of the set.
The first momentum swing of the game happened as Seattle U started to get into a rhythm, getting enough power on their spikes to make it hard for the Wolverines to get on system.
Then began the most dominant stretch of UVU Volleyball that has been seen all year. Going on a 12 point run that took a 13-13 tie and made it a UVU set victory in nearly the blink of an eye
Back to back spikes by Hailey Cuff started a run of play for the Wolverines that was absolutely commanding. “The girls in all areas of the game did very well, we passed well, hit well and blocked well,” said head coach Sam Atoa. “We just disrupted what Seattle U was trying to do.”
Excellent attacking by Avery Shewell and Tori Ellis led the way for the Wolverines, “It’s really easy to feel good on the court when everybody is having a good game.” Ellis said. “It seemed as though everything was going right for the wolverines, who were having a night that almost seemed magical.”
The magic wasn’t done either.
The second set, if possible, was even better than the first.
The Wolverines picked up where they left off, continuing their run by starting the set with a 5-0 run, making a total of 18 unanswered points by the wolverines, one of the longest runs of the year, only ended by a service error.
But that wouldn’t phase the Wolverines, who looked nearly invincible at this point, raising the lead to 9-1. Cuff and Ellis would not be denied, playing excellent volleyball while being set up from perfect passes by Abby Medeiros.
This was a completely different team than the one seen by the losing streak. Attacking opportunities came fast and frequent, and those opportunities were seized with UVU boasting a .636 kill percentage and going on yet another 9-0 run, bringing the score to 18-2.
With a final 3-0 run for good measure the Wolverines ended their best set of the year with a score of 25-6.
It is hard to overstate how good the Wolverines looked, and on a night where the UVU Volleyball team held their cancer awareness pink game, in honor of beloved coach Lori Richards, things just seemed different.
Atoa explained, they weren’t just playing for the win tonight. “We dedicated this match to different individuals who are going through challenges with breast cancer, and cancer itself. Every individual player dedicated this game to a person that they know.” Atoa said. “There are other things that are bigger than this game, and it was nice for us to dedicate and focus on something that was bigger than volleyball.”
The final set of the night was a testament to the dedication of Atoa, and the girls. Who rounded out their near perfect night with a dominant final set.
This was a statement win for the Wolverines, who looked as good as they had ever been this year. And they hope to keep this momentum as they face Utah Tech this Thursday, Oct 12. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
