SALT LAKE CITY — Playing without leading hitter Claire Little, No. 21 BYU women’s volleyball dropped a three-set match to No. 23 Utah (16-25, 15-25, 16-25) at the Huntsman Center on Friday night.

The Cougars (14-8, 7-5 Big 12) hit just .103 on the match to the Utes’ .294. Utah also out-blocked BYU, nine to three, and out-aced the Cougars, 11 to two.

Little, who averages 3.96 kills per set, was at the match with her teammates on the bench but not in uniform.

Elli Mortensen finished with nine kills while Kate Prior added six. Addie Benson, Kjersti Strong and Brielle Kemavor each tallied four. Alex Bower recorded 23 assists and Lulu Uluave had 15 digs.

The Utes won the program’s 900th match and set an attendance record with 5,953 fans. Utah defeated the Cougars for the first time since 2019 and swept BYU in Salt Lake City for the first time since 2006.

BYU took the first point of the match before Utah scored four straight. A Mortensen kill ignited a 3-0 Cougar run that featured a Hannah Billeter ace and tied the set at four.

The Utes went on two 3-0 runs and another 4-0 run as BYU took both of its timeouts early, trailing 14-7. Trading points, the Cougars getting kills from Mortensen, Benson and Strong.

Utah took six of the final 10 points to close the set, however, winning it 25-16.

BYU got kills from Prior and Mortensen to start the second, but called timeout after a 3-0 Ute run had it down 8-4. A pair of Benson kills and Kemavor quick hitter helped the Cougars respond and come within one, at 10-9.

Calling timeout after a 3-0 Utah run and facing a 15-10 deficit, BYU rallied with a 3-0 run on a kill by Prior and two from Bower that made it 16-14.

After a kill by Strong at 17-15, Utes, Utah closed the set on an 8-0 run, taking it 25-15.

The Cougars opened the final frame with a Mortensen-Strong double block and Prior kill before surrounding a 5-0 Ute run, calling a timeout down 6-2.

Trading points, BYU got kills from Blaykli Bobik, Kemavor, Prior and Mortensen, a solo stuff by Kemavor, Bobik-Strong double block and Bower ace that cut the lead to three, at 16-13.

Mortensen and Prior each landed kills down the stretch, but Utah closed the match on a 5-0 run to seal the match, 25-16.

BYU will head east next week for two matches on the road, visiting UCF on Thursday and Houston on Saturday. Both matches will be streamed on ESPN+.