Photo by Byron Harward
Following a Labor Day victory over Idaho State, the UVU volleyball team headed to Logan, Utah on Tuesday night for a nonconference match against in-state rival Utah State of the Mountain West Conference. UVU (5-4) proved to be too much for USU (4-3) as the Wolverines prevailed over the Aggies in four sets (18-25, 25-18, 26-24, 25-15).
USU got on the board first in the opening set and quickly built up a 10-5 lead before UVU responded, pulling to within one point when a Brighton Taylor kill sparked a minor Wolverine run. The Aggies matched the UVU strike with an 8-2 run of their own, pulling away from the Wolverines to win the first set.
The Aggies scored first once again to start the second set, but the lead would be short lived as the Wolverines tied the score at 1-1 on an Alexis Davies kill and did not trail again during the set.
Holding the momentum going into the third, UVU jumped out to an early 5-0 lead and looked to be running away with the set before the Aggies closed the deficit. The set was a nailbiter from that point on as both sides battled to eleven tie scores. With the teams deadlocked at 24-24, Davies came through with a clutch kill to give her team the lead, and a USU error on the ensuing play sealed a third set victory for UVU.
The fourth set began much as the third had ended, with the teams trading points in the early goings. With the score tied at 5-5 a USU error gave the Wolverines a lead that they would not relinquish for the remainder of the set. Behind five kills a piece from Lexi Thompson and Davies, UVU rolled in the fourth to win the set and the match.
With the victory the Wolverines’ win streak now sits at four, a season high.
Davies and Thompson led the Wolverine scoring charge with 13 kills each while recently named WAC player of the week Madison Dennison contributed 12 of her own.
UVU will now travel to Fort Worth, Tex. where it will take part in the TCU Fight In the Fort Tournament. The Wolverines will face Lehigh on Friday, Sept. 8, before taking on Duke and host school TCU on Saturday, Sept. 9.
