“I was at the BYU Volleyball Camp summer before my senior year,” Hoybjerg said. “I did it right here, on the court right there, which is kind of crazy.”

More than two long years later on Tuesday night, Hoybjerg got her first chance to play in the regular rotation, leading the 16th-ranked Cougars with four block assists in a 3-0 sweep (25-15, 27-25, 25-19) of Weber State.

“We were just playing together,” Hoybjerg said. “Claire (Little Chambers) and Alex (Bower) brought us and were like, ‘We can do this. We’re going to play as a team and we’re going to ball out.’ We really took that part and started playing that way, especially in the third set.

“It was amazing, so fun. I love it so much. Volleyball is so much fun and I just love this team. It’s just a blast and all that hard work was so worth it.”

Harold Mitchell, Special to the Herald

The hard work Hoyjberg was referring to began after she tore her ACL.

“I graduated early (from high school) so I could come here and rehab and everything,” she said. “I redshirted last year (due to the injury) and this is my first season. I’m just so grateful for my team, and the support of my coaches and their belief in me.”

With Mia Lee sitting out of the game with an injury, the 6-foot-2 Hoyjberg started the match and helped the Cougars to their tenth straight win to begin the season on, as it turned out, her 20th birthday.

“Abby did a good job filling in for Mia,” BYU coach Heather Olmstead said. “We’ll continue to see her grow. She’s just steady and she’s always learning. She has a growth mindset and she has great energy. She’s got fresh eyes and fresh desire.”

BYU dominated Set 1 against Weber State — favorites to win the Big Sky this season — and won 25-15, getting to set point on a kill from freshman Suli Davis and using a tandem block from Brielle Kemavor and Bower for the winner.

Harold Mitchell, Special to the Herald

Set 2 was close with nine ties and three lead changes as Weber State’s defense kept them right on the Cougars’ heels. A block from Brielle Rueckert and Kaylie Ray tied the set at 23. The Wildcats fought off one set point when Ashley Gneiting went down the line to tie things up at 25 but at 26-25, Little Chambers fired off an ace for the winner at 27-25.

Set 3 was all BYU, which broke away from a 5-5 tie to take a 14-9 lead on back-to-back kills from Kemavor. It was 20-12 after a pair of Little Chambers kills and the Cougars eased to the 25-17 win and the match.

” I think it was as a good battle,” Olmstead said. “We knew Weber State was good defensively. I thought they got some really great touches on the block and their back row defense was really good. So we just stuck with it. Alex had a great match. I thought she distributed the ball well and found the hot hitter each set, and that was a different hitter each time.”

Little Chambers led BYU (10-0) with 13 kills and Davis contributed her second double-double of the season with 11 kills and 11 digs. Kemavor and Sophie Callahan combined for 18 kills and only two errors on 32 swings (.518). Bower had 39 assists and Lulu Uluave led the Cougars with 12 digs.

Rose Moore topped Weber State with 10 kills (and just one error) for a .409 hitting percentage. Gneiting had nine kills and nine digs, Morgan Pratt totaled 30 assists and Marly Pratt logged 10 digs.

Harold Mitchell, Special to the Herald

Six Wildcats played high school volleyball in Utah County: Rueckert (Timpview), Gneiting (Pleasant Grove), Moore (Skyridge), the Pratt sisters (Maple Mountain) and Jayda Tupea (Lone Peak.)

BYU has three matches this week against in-state competition, with a road trip to Logan to play Utah State Thursday and then a Saturday matchup with Utah Valley in Orem.

Olmstead said she enjoys scheduling matches against friends: Weber State is coached by former BYU men’s volleyball player Jeremiah Larson, Utah State by former BYU player Rob Nielson and UVU by long-time head man Sam Atoa.

“I think all the in-state teams do a good job,” Olmstead said. “Playing them provides us an opportunity to grow the game locally in the community It also allows us to be home on the fourth weekend before we start conference, whether we’re home or away. We open up next week at home but it always allows us to make sure we’re here fine-tuning things, making sure we’re in school and getting good sleep.”

BYU sophomore Abby Hoybjerg takes a swing against Weber State in a women's college volleyball match at the Smith Fieldhouse on Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025.

BYU women's volleyball players celebrate a point during a match against Weber State at the Smith Fieldhouse on Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025.

BYU students celebrate a point during a women's college volleyball match against Weber State at the Smith Fieldhouse on Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025.

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