BYU/UVU roundup: Cougar women’s volleyball loses in five-set thriller
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- BYU freshman Blaykli Bobik (20), sophomore Brielle Kemavor (24) and freshman Elli Mortensen go up for a block during the non-conference match against Georgia Tech at the Smith Fieldhouse in Provo on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024.
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- BYU freshman Blaykli Bobik goes up for an attack during the non-conference match against Georgia Tech at the Smith Fieldhouse in Provo on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024.
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- BYU freshman Alex Bower (7) and senior Kjersti Strong go up for a block during the non-conference match against Georgia Tech at the Smith Fieldhouse in Provo on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024.
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- BYU fans cheer on their team during the non-conference match against Georgia Tech at the Smith Fieldhouse in Provo on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024.
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- BYU freshman Blaykli Bobik (20) and senior middle blocker Kjersti Strong go up for a block during the non-conference match against Georgia Tech at the Smith Fieldhouse in Provo on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024.
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- BYU head coach Heather Olmstead (right) applauds a good play during the non-conference match against Georgia Tech at the Smith Fieldhouse in Provo on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024.
Despite a career-high 20 kills from outside hitter Claire Little, No. 14 BYU came up short 3-2 (25-21, 20-25, 25-19, 20-25, 13-15) to No. 19 Georgia Tech at the BYU Nike Invitational on Saturday night at the Smith Fieldhouse.
The Cougars (4-1, 0-0 Big 12) fought back from early deficits in three of the five sets and led 7-4 in the fifth before a late surge from the visitors handed the match to Georgia Tech in a 15-13 final set.
Little led BYU with 20 kills while hitting at a clip of .442 with two service aces, nine digs and a pair of block assists. Freshmen Elli Mortensen and Blaykli Bobik added eight kills apiece, a career high for Bobik, with Mortensen tacking on eight digs as well. Fellow freshman, libero Lulu Uluave recorded a career-high 16 digs along with six assists.
Saturday marked BYU’s first double-digit block performance of the season with 11 on the night. Brielle Kemavor posted two solo blocks and four block assists to lead the Cougars’ defensive efforts.
BYU went on a 3-0 run to take control in the first set, pushing the score to 18-13 with a kill from Alex Bower and two Georgia Tech errors. The Cougars surged to a 20-13 lead as Kemavor recorded a kill off a Bower assist and BYU took advantage of several Yellow Jacket errors. Both teams traded 3-0 runs to a 23-19 score with the Cougars’ run highlighted by a Claire Little ace.
A Georgia Tech service error brought the set to a halt with BYU winning 25-21.
After dropping Set 2, the Cougars took control early in the third frame and finished the set on top at 25-19 with a pair of Yellow Jacket errors and an Elyse Stowell kill.
But Georgia Tech moved in front in Set 4, turning a 13-13 tie into and 25-20 win for the Yellow Jackets to force the deciding fifth set.
BYU started the fifth set off at 3-1 with two kills from Little and an ace from Bower. Kemavor, Mortensen and Bobik all recorded kills to widen the lead to 7-4. Georgia Tech took four-straight points to regain the lead at 8-7. The Cougars responded with back-to-back scores off a Mortensen kill and a Yellow Jacket attack error.
The score was tied up at 11 after trading points, but the Yellow Jackets went on a 3-0 kill streak to take it to 14-11. BYU scored two consecutive points from a service error and a Little ace, but the Yellow Jackets took the fifth set 15-13.
The Cougars will travel to San Diego’s Jenny Craig Pavilion to take on the Toreros on Thursday, Sept. 12 at 8 p.m. MDT followed by the No. 12 Oregon Ducks on Friday at 8 p.m. MDT.
UVU women’s volleyball sweeps Boise State
Utah Valley University women’s volleyball swept Boise State 3-0 (25-21, 27-25, 25-20) on Saturday afternoon at Dahlberg Arena in Missoula, Mont.
UVU (5-1) took advantage of 23 attack errors by Boise State (3-2), while the Broncos hit a season-low .134 in the match. Avery Shewell finished with 13 kills, seven digs, and four of the Wolverine’s ten total blocks in the match.
“It was such an awesome win!! So proud of how the team executed our game plan today,” said UVU head coach Sam Atoa. “Each time they were challenged, they stepped up and fought back. They played poised and patient throughout the match.”
Blackett continued where she left off on Friday with seven kills on her first eight swings in the first set. She scored four of UVU’s first five points in the match with three kills and a service ace. The Broncos overcame the fast start after a 6-1 run to make it 9-7, but the lead didn’t last long before Utah Valley’s Shewell chipped away with a kill and back-to-back service aces during a 6-1 stretch to take a 13-10 advantage. The Wolverines pulled away to take the opening set of the match 25-21.
Boise State held a narrow 22-19 lead late in the second before Utah Valley rallied after a kill from Blackett before she and Bella Wooden had a pair of block assists to make it tied at 22. UVU had their first chance to win the set after one of Wooden’s seven kills before the Broncos evened the set, but Blackett quickly put UVU in front 25-24, and after the set was tied at 25, it was Shewell who ended the set with consecutive kills.
Utah Valley held the Broncos to a match-low .093 on hitting in the final set and took an early advantage with Natalie Palmer serving as part of a 3-0 run to go up 7-4 after an attack error and a pair of UVU kills. The lead was extended to 15-7 after UVU’s middle blockers Wooden and Maranda Woolf added kills before Woolf teamed up with Shewell for a pair of blocks. The Wolverine lead was narrowed with a Boise State run that made it 22-17 before Shewell added a kill, UVU won a challenge on a potential service ace to make it 24-17, and Blackett finished the match with a kill.
The Wolverines will now head to the Classic City Clash in Athens, Ga. They will play Jacksonville on Friday, Sept. 13, at 3:00 p.m. MT before facing off with Boston College on Saturday, Sept. 14, at 10:30 a.m. MT. They will wrap up the tournament against the host Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday, Sept. 15, at 5:30 p.m. MT.
BYU women’s soccer loses at Arkansas
The BYU women’s soccer team fell to No. 6 Arkansas 4-2 on Saturday evening on Razorback Field.
In her first game back after missing five matches for sickness, junior forward Erin Bailey scored her first goal of the season. Tara Warner got on the scoresheet with her first goal of the season and second of her career.
BYU was the first team to score on Arkansas since the Razorbacks faced Michigan State on Aug. 22.
The Hogs outshot the Cougars 19-13 tonight, the most shots BYU has allowed in a game this season. With 12 shots on target, the Razorbacks forced Cougar goalkeeper Lynette Hernaez to make six saves.
BYU returns to South Field for its first Big 12 matchup of the season against Arizona State on Thursday, Sept. 12 at 7 p.m. MT. Live coverage for the game will be available on ESPN+.
Wolverine men’s soccer wins at FGCU
A quick glance at the stat line from Sunday’s UVU men’s soccer game at Florida Gulf Coast and things would look grim for the Wolverines.
The Eagles outshot UVU 13-4, had more corner kicks, fewer fouls and fewer offsides.
But all that matters is the scoreboard and that’s where the Wolverines had the big advantage. UVU got a pair of goals from Omar Yehya to propel Wolverines to the 2-0 win.
UVU also got three saves from keeper Ben Anderson that helped his team stay in front.
The Wolverines (4-0-1) next host Cal Poly at Clyde Field in Orem on Friday at 7 p.m.
BYU women’s golf to start season in New Mexico
BYU women’s golf begins its 2024-25 season at the Dick McGuire Invitational at the UNM Championship Course in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Sep. 9-10.
“We’re excited to start our season in Albuquerque,” said head coach Carrie Roberts. “It’s a great course and a great host. Our team is very deep, so it will be exciting to see who rises to the occasion.”
In her debut as a Cougar, freshman Naji Aramkul will compete on Monday alongside returning sophomores Whitney Banz and Maria “MJ” Barragan and juniors Lily McCauley and Sunbin Seo.
BYU will compete in a 15-team field that includes host New Mexico, California Poly, California State-Fullerton, Chattanooga, Grand Canyon, Hawaii, Kennesaw State, Long Beach State, Nevada, Northern Arizona, Pepperdine, Texas State, UNLV and UTEP.
The Cougars will play two 18-hole rounds on Monday beginning at 7:30 a.m. MST at the 6,354-yard course. The final round will be played on Tuesday, Sep. 10.
Live scoring for this tournament will be available on Golfstat, and updates will be posted on the Instagram and Twitter accounts.
