Despite double-doubles from both Alex Bower and Claire Little Chambers for the second-straight match, the Cougars came up short in just their second five-set match this season and first in over a month.

BYU out-hit West Virginia .201 to .156 and recorded six (60 to 54) more kills than WVU. The Cougars also had 11 aces to the Mountaineers’ one, but had seven (15 to eight) more service errors and were out-blocked, 12-11 and out-dug, 65 to 60.

Bower finished with 37 assists and 16 digs while Little Chambers posted 18 kills and 12 digs. Freshman Suli Davis added a team-high 20 kills. Emma Barbero tallied 13 digs and seven assists. Brielle Kemavor carded a team-high six blocks. Abby Hoybjerg had five.

Trailing two sets to one, BYU dominated the fourth set 25-19, forcing a fifth and final set.

West Virginia raced out to a 5-2 lead, forcing a BYU timeout. The Cougars fought back, scoring five of six out of the break, including a 3-0 run capped off by an Elli Mortensen ace that forced a Mountaineer timeout at 7-7.

Trailing 9-7, BYU earned a tie at 10 on a Bower ace and another tie at 11 thanks to a WVU service error but  the home team surged to a 13-11 lead. A Davis kill fought off match point once, but a Cougar service error sealed the five-set loss, 15-12.

BYU (14-2 overall, 2-2 Big 12) has a single-game week next week, hosting Houston in a Saturday afternoon match on Oct. 11 at 1 p.m. MDT on ESPN+.

Women’s soccer travels to Oklahoma State

BYU women’s soccer continues a two-game Big 12 road trip on Monday at Oklahoma State’s Neal Patterson Stadium on Monday, with the match starting at 6 p.m. and streamed on ESPN+.

The Cougars (6-3-2, 1-2-1 Big 12) battled Houston to a 1-1 draw Thursday evening at the Carl Lewis International Complex. Halle Dixon sent in a corner kick in the final minute of the first half that Avery Frischknecht put away to find the equalizer.

Oklahoma State (4-6-2, 0-3-1 Big 12) has dropped two Big 12 matches in a row, the last being a 4-0 loss at Texas Tech Thursday, Oct. 2. The Red Raiders outshot the Cowgirls 20-3, with nine shots on goal compared to OSU’s one. The aggressive matchup ended with a total of 32 fouls.

BYU and OSU have played five times previously, with the Cougars leading the overall series 3-1-1. The Cowgirls and Cougars played each other twice last season, the first ending in a 2-2 tie and the second a 5-0 win for BYU to advance to the semifinal match of the Big 12 tournament. In that meeting, sophomore Mika Krommenhoek tallied her first career brace, while Allie Fryer also notched two and Mackenzee Vance added one.

Men’s swimming and diving earns first place finish

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – The BYU men’s swim and dive team took first place in its first official meet of the 2025-26 season, winning the Colorado Mesa Intermountain Shootout.

“We’re off to an electric start this season, and today’s meet was a powerful reflection of the work our athletes have put in,” head coach Tamber McAllister said. “From top-to-bottom, we saw courageous racing and smart execution. The highlight — BYU’s first-ever 18 split in the 50 free — marks a new chapter in our program’s history. It’s a testament to the speed, belief, and legacy we’re building together.”

The team saw several top-10 all-time program performances and standout finishes from newcomers across the meet.

Saturday’s competition opened with the 200-yard medley relay, where the BYU A team took first and second place. Jack Burke, Peter Etzold, Tanner Edwards and Max Kleinman finished with a time of 1:27.37, earning them the top spot. Kleinman made history, becoming the first BYU swimmer to achieve an 18 split on the 50 free as the anchor.

Tanner Nelson kicked off the individual events with a victory in the 500-yard freestyle, hitting the wall at 4:27.04. The Cougars also claimed second and third place, with Easton Mousser and Darwin Anderson finishing seconds later.

The men’s 50-yard butterfly was highlighted by meet standout Kleinman, who took first in the event with a time of 20.96–the second-fastest finish in program history. Kleinman also moved from sixth to fifth on BYU’s all-time list in the men’s 100-yard butterfly (46.80). BYU also saw first-place finishes from Joshua Reed of Newcastle, Australia, Will Bonnett, Bryce Broadhead and Etzold.

The meet concluded with the 400-yard freestyle relay, where BYU’s A team claimed first place with a time of 2:54.85. The winning squad featured Nelson, Payton Plumb, Reed and Kleinman.

The BYU men’s diving team saw a first-place victory from sophomore Martí Llop. Llop, a native of Barcelona, Spain, finished the competition with a final score of 467.40.

Freshman divers Ashton Sparks and Elijah Baker also competed, finishing with scores of 374.55 (Sparks) and 326.18 (Baker).

Women’s swimming and diving notches first win

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. — BYU women’s swim and dive opened the 2025-26 season with a first-place finish at the El Pomar Natatorium on Saturday.

The Cougars took first in eight of 11 events they participated in.

Swimming Saturday’s competition began with the women’s 200 medley relay. The BYU A team — which featured Emma Marusakova, Lucy Warnick, Sarah Eliason and freshman Ana Loveridge — finished with a time of 1:42.08, earning first place.

Loveridge opened her individual competition with the 50-yard butterfly, finishing first in the event with a time of 24.90 seconds — the second-fastest mark in program history. Loveridge also moved into seventh all-time in BYU’s 100 butterfly with a time of 54.47. Additionally, she competed on the winning 400 freestyle relay team to conclude the meet.

Freshman Sophie Scoville also secured a spot in the BYU record books, clocking a 25.57 in the 50-yard butterfly — the 10th-fastest time in program history.

Sophomore Lucy Warnick stood out among the competition as she finished first in the 400 individual medley and the 200 breaststroke. She was also a member of the winning 200 medley relay team, where she hit a 28.54 breast split.

Additional first-place performances included Haylee Tiffany in the 100 freestyle and Eason Jones in the 200 backstroke.

Diving The women’s dive team competed in the 1-meter event Saturday morning. Freshman Brooklyn Goeckertiz finished in third place with a score of 411.90, following her first-place finish in the 3-meter event on Friday.

Senior Sophia DeBergh gave the Cougars a fourth-place finish, followed by Betty Martin in fifth and Aubryn Ordyna in seventh.

Up next BYU swim and dive will travel to Las Vegas to face the UNLV Rebels on Friday, Nov. 7. Live results will be available on Meet Mobile, with streaming TBA.