On Aug. 21, UVU’s volleyball team competed in the annual Green and White Scrimmage. The Wolverines were divided into the Green and White teams that played each other to help prepare for the upcoming season. It also gave fans a glimpse into how the team will look this season. After some hard fought games, the White team emerged victorious, winning the series two games to one.
“I think anytime you compete, there are good things and learning experiences,” said head coach Sam Atoa. He was able to see some of both throughout the matches.
In the opening game, the White team pulled ahead early on, starting with a 6-2 lead, but the Green team was able to cut it down, and were eventually able to tie it 13-13. Then, after a series of blocks by Maikala Jarema and Alexis Davies, the Green team was able to come away with the narrow win. The final score was 25-23. Jarema and Davies ended with 6 and 5 blocks, respectively, and Kristen Allred led the Green team with 4 kills.
Coach Atoa was impressed with the defense he saw, and felt that Makaila could “lead the conference in blocks” this season.
After a close start in the second game, the White team was able to pull ahead and hold it until eventually winning 25-20. Kanza Tarawhiti had 8 kills and Jaysa Stratton accounted for all 11 of the team’s assists in the victory.
With the series tied 1-1, the teams faced off again. After some early lead changes, the White team was able to get up 17-11. The Green team looked to make a comeback after scoring a few in a row and winning a long rally, but it proved to be short-lived. The White again took over and ended up extending the lead again until they came out as the victors with a final score of 25-17.
The scrimmage provided the team with a look at what needed additional work. In particular, Coach Atoa felt the passing game could use some improvement. Another challenge the Wolverines face is that they are very young, with only one senior on their entire roster. However, as the team continues to play together, they look to do great things this year.
“Our foundation of what we have with this group is endless potential,” said Coach Atoa. “We can grow very quickly. I am excited to coach this team.”
With the regular season now beginning, it will be exciting to see how UVU’s volleyball team uses what they learned in the early scrimmage to propel them to success.
