BYU won the first two sets but Colorado won Set 3 and appeared to be gaining momentum. The Buffaloes scored five straight points, spanning a BYU timeout, to lead 14-11 in Set 4.

Four in a row, including two Mortensen kills and a Blaykli Bobik-Strong double block, put the Cougars back in front at 15-14. The Buffaloes took four on the next five, however, and BYU took a timeout trailing 18-16.

Benson and Mortensen kills made way for a Kemavor-Prior double block that tied the set at 20, before Colorado took a 22-20 lead. A 3-0 Cougar run and 4-1 span gave BYU match point and forced Colorado timeout.

After a Mortensen attack was dug by the Buffaloes but got stuck in the overhead video board for an official’s deemed replay, Strong closed out the match with a kill into the middle, 25-23.

The Cougars (13-6, 6-3 Big 12) were led by Kemavor’s 14 kills and 12 blocks, both game highs, as she registered just the third double-double by a BYU middle blocker since the 2013 season.

Kemavor was joined by Elli Mortensen (14 kills, hitting .524) and Claire Little (10 kills) in double figures. Kjersti Strong tallied nine kills, hitting .438. Alex Bower recorded 42 assists and nine digs. Hannah Billeter added eight digs, while Lulu Uluave had seven. Kate Prior tallied eight total blocks, a career high. BYU hit .260 for the contest while holding Colorado to a .141 clip. The Cougars out-blocked the Buffaloes, 15-14, and carded three (45-42) more digs than them as well.

After Colorado scored the opening point of the match, BYU reeled off seven straight, including a Strong solo stuff, and kills from Mortensen, Strong, and Bower.

Two Little kills and a Kemavor-Prior double block paced the Cougars before a Macy Short ace and quick hitter from Kemavor had BYU in front by 10, forcing a Colorado timeout at 18-8.

The Cougars weathered a 4-0 Buffalo run and called their first timeout leading by six. From there, BYU would close the set on a 7-2 run, including the final five points of the frame, to win it 25-13.

Trailing 2-0 early in Set 2, the Cougars rallied to take a 6-3 lead on kills from Strong, Little and Kemavor. The two teams traded points from there before a 3-0 run put BYU in front 15-10, forcing a Colorado timeout.

Both teams then went on two separate 3-0 runs each, with the Buffaloes taking a timeout amidst the Cougars’ second three-point span. Kills by Little and Kemavor closed out the second set for BYU, 25-19.

The Cougars, trailing to start their third consecutive set, faced a 5-2 deficit before a Kemavor-Bower double block ignited a 3-0 BYU run that tied the set at five.

Scoring six-straight, with Little, Kemavor and Prior all getting in on double blocks, and Little landing two aces to cap off a 9-1 span, the Cougars went up by five, at 11-6.

Colorado responded with a 4-0 run to come within one, forcing a BYU timeout. The Buffaloes took seven of the next 10 points to go in front 17-14, and the Cougars took their second timeout.

BYU answered back with a 5-0 run, spanning Colorado’s second timeout, to tie the set at 19, but the Buffaloes took six of the final 10 points to force a fourth set, 25-22.

BYU will return to Provo to host No. 13 Arizona State and Arizona next week, beginning with a Halloween night matchup against the Sun Devils on Thursday, Oct. 31 at 7 p.m. MDT.

UVU women’s volleyball loses at UT Arlington

Utah Valley University fell in a five-set heartbreaker to UT Arlington on Saturday afternoon inside Lockhart Arena in Orem.

UVU (15-7, 6-4) was led by Sami Blackett, who finished with a match-high 23 kills and 12 digs. WAC Preseason Player of the Year Brianna Ford led the Mavericks with 19 kills in the match. The match was UVU’s third consecutive five-set match and their fifth of the season.

UTA scored the first six points of the fifth set until UVU scored three of the next four, with Blackett starting it off with a block, adding a kill and an ace. The Wolverines continued to chip away with consecutive kills from Shewell before Jaffa’s kill made it 8-6. The Mavericks had one final run in them with a 4-1 run to take the lead at 12-7 before finishing off the set.

Shewell finished the match with 19 kills for Utah Valley. Chism was one assist shy of her third consecutive 50-or-more assist match; she finished with 49 assists and ten digs. Matavao recorded 16 digs and five assists, and Palmer finished with 16 digs.

The Wolverines will travel for their next four matches, starting with Southern Utah and Utah Tech next weekend before heading to Abilene Christian and UT Arlington the following week.