OGDEN – The Utah Valley Volleyball team fell to in-state foe Weber State 3-0 (25-21, 25-19, 25-10) dropping their overall record to 3-6 on the season.
The first set of the match was the closest of the three, being a back-and-forth affair with both teams struggling to find their footing early on, the score landing at 13-12.
Errant passes and service errors were common as the teams traded points early in the match.
Bailey Bodily was the sure hand for the Wildcats, having 7 kills in the first set. However, Bodily was matched by sophomore Avery Shewell and senior Tori Ellis for the Wolverines, who both had four kills apiece in the first set to give the Wolverines a 20-16 lead, which would prove to be their largest of the day.
However, the Wildcats came thundering back. Thanks to excellent serving from Weber State, the Wolverines were unable to close out under the pressure and dropped the set and surrendered a 9-1 run resulting in a 25-21 set one loss.
From then on it was all Wildcats.
Weber State would spring ahead to a quick 11-5 lead in the second set and never looked back. The Wolverines were unable to recover playing from behind, with multiple kill errors hampering their efforts. Utah Valley would never come within four of the Wildcats the entire set. With Weber State capping off a dominant set with a 7-3 run to take a 2-0 lead.
Unfortunately for the Wolverines, the last set proved to be the worst of the three. The Wildcats used another early lead to get separation from UVU.
The balanced Wildcat offense was the downfall of the Wolverines with four players having over six kills. Bodily and Mia Peterson led the charge with 12, and 11 kills, respectively.
The Wolverines were unable to stop the Wildcats in any facet of the match, with serves, kills, and errors all contributing to the final set ending with a score of 25-10.
This was a night to forget for the Wolverines as they ended the match with only 36 kills, and a hitting percentage of .221.
The Wolverines will look to bounce back against in-state rival Utah State – who has been receiving votes in the national poll – Thursday Sept. 14 at 6 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
