BYU had two home games last week, facing the Oklahoma State Cowgirls and Iowa State Cyclones. The Cougars tied OSU 2-2, but took home the victory over ISU, 3-1. This is the first time this season BYU has earned multiple weekly Big 12 awards.

Vance started in both matches, tallying one goal in each. In the OSU game, she took two shots and in the Iowa State game she took just one shot that went in for BYU’s third goal of the match.

Krommenhoek also started both games for the Cougars, playing all 90 minutes on the pitch in each. She scored her first-ever goal against OSU in the 4th minute, the quickest goal BYU has scored this season. Against the Cyclones, Krommenhoek tallied her first-ever assists, with two.

BYU’s Bower earns Big 12 award

BYU women’s volleyball setter Alex Bower has been named the Big 12 Rookie of the Week, the league announced on Tuesday.

With the honor, Bower earns the first Big 12 award of her young career, and the Cougars’ first conference honor of the 2024 season.

Bower continued to lead the BYU offense this week, posting her fifth double-double of the year with 40 assists and 13 digs against Colorado. She then followed that up with 34 assists and three service aces, tying her career high, in a sweep of Texas Tech.

A Nampa, Idaho native, Bower tallied 74 total assists on the week for a 10.57 assists per set average, 18 digs, six total blocks, including two solo against the Red Raiders, also a career high, to go along with four kills and four service aces.

The 20th-ranked Cougars hit the road for their first Big 12 road trip this week, visiting Arizona and No. 15 Arizona State on Wednesday and Friday, Oct. 2 and 4.

BYU’s Clinger tops Big 12 cross country awards

Casey Clinger of No. 2 BYU men’s cross country was named Big 12 Runner of the Week by the conference Wednesday afternoon.

Clinger earned the award after placing fourth overall at the 2024 Nuttycombe Invitational held last Friday at the Thomas Zimmer Championship Course in Madison, Wisconsin. The senior crossed the finish of the 8k race in 23:10.4 leading the Cougars across the line. BYU scored 44 points in the meet, capturing the overall team victory which maintained the Cougars No. 2 spot in the USTFCCCA National Coaches Poll as of Tuesday.

“It’s always an honor for an athlete to win the Big 12 Runner of the Week award so we are very happy for Casey,” said head coach Ed Eyestone. “We are particularly excited for him since this has been really his first big outing since his foot surgery last year. So even though it was a bit of a rust-buster type race for him, in terms of big meets, I think it showed that he’s in a good place right now. We still have some time to go and some work to get done.”

The four-time All-American took a hiatus from competing after the conclusion of the 2023 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships due to a foot injury. Clinger returned back to action for the Cougars for his final season, competing at the 2024 Autumn Classic on Sept. 13 finishing the four-mile race in 19:39.0.

The BYU men’s cross country program will compete at the 2024 Bill Dellinger Invitational at the University of Oregon on Fri. October 11 at 12:15 p.m. MDT.

Public invited to meet BYU hoops

Marriott Madness will be held on Thursday, Oct. 3, with the men’s and women’s team participating. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. for students. The general public is invited to attend as well (admission is free) with public doors opening at 6 p.m. The event begins at 7 p.m. Planned activities include team introductions for new coach Kevin Young and his players as well as Amber Whiting and the women’s roster, a dunk contest, a 3-point shooting contest, a live DJ and giveaways. A dunk team and the Cougarettes are also scheduled to perform.

The Blue and White game is set for Oct. 9 at 7 p.m. in the Marriott Center. BYU has an exhibition game with Colorado Christian on Oct. 30 and the season officially opens on Nov. 5 against Central Arkansas.

UVU will be host school for 2027-2028 NCAA Tournament

Utah Valley University has been chosen as a host school for the first and second rounds of the 2028 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament, which will be held at Delta Center in Salt Lake City, the NCAA announced on Wednesday.

“We are incredibly excited and honored to be named as a host school for the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament,” said Dr. Jared Sumsion, Utah Valley University Director of Athletics. “This opportunity highlights the progress of our athletics program and showcases the confidence the NCAA has in Utah Valley and our ability to stage premier events.”

The games take place at Delta Center, a venue known for its history of hosting NCAA Tournament games and delivering unforgettable moments. UVU will serve as the official host institution, working with Delta Center and Salt Lake City to create a memorable experience for both participants and fans.

“This is not only a great day for UVU Athletics but also for basketball fans in the state of Utah,” added Sumsion. “We look forward to collaborating with Delta Center and Salt Lake City to continue to bring the excitement of March Madness to our region.”

UVU’s Weber claims WAC honor

Utah Valley senior forward Faith Webber has been named the Jersey Mike’s A Sub Above Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Offensive Player of the Week after an impressive performance in the Wolverines’ 5-2 road win over Tarleton State on Saturday. It marks the second time this season that Webber has earned WAC Player of the Week honors. Webber, a native of Grand Blanc, Michigan, recorded a brace with two goals in the win over the Texans. She opened the scoring in the ninth minute, giving Utah Valley an early 1-0 lead. Webber then capped the match in the 90th minute with her second goal, securing the brace and the Wolverines’ fourth consecutive win. With the pair of goals, Webber reached a significant milestone, tying Utah Valley alum Heather Stainbrook (now with the Washington Spirit of the NWSL) for the top spot as UVU’s all-time career goal scorer with 40 goals. She now needs just one more goal to become the Wolverines’ outright all-time leader in career goals. Utah Valley (7-4-1, 1-0-0 WAC) dominated the match, outshooting Tarleton State 19-6, including a 14-2 edge in shots on goal.