Utah Valley University head women’s volleyball coach Sam Atoa announced the 2025 schedule on Thursday, highlighted by in-state rivalries and a strong nonconference slate that includes six postseason teams from last year.

The Wolverines will face all NCAA Division I in-state opponents, including home matches against Utah State and BYU. The schedule features four teams that competed in the NCAA Tournament and two others that participated in the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC).

“It’s hard to believe we’re already approaching another season,” Atoa said. “I’m excited for the challenge ahead and the strong schedule we’ve put together. We’re building on what we accomplished last year and have high expectations for this group.”

Utah Valley opens the season by hosting the Utah Valley Invitational. The home opener is set for Friday, Aug. 29, against Montana at 12:30 p.m. MT, followed by a matchup with Navy at 7 p.m. inside Lockhart Arena. The opening weekend wraps up with a regional showdown against Boise State on Aug. 30. The Broncos went 19-10 last season and finished sixth in the Mountain West Conference.

UVU hits the road for the first time in 2025 at the Outrigger Invitational, hosted by Hawaii. The Wolverines will face San José State, St. John’s, and host Hawaii, the defending Big West Tournament champions, who finished 21-10 last season and fell to TCU in the NCAA first round. St. John’s finished 24-13 in the Big East and made the semifinals of NIVC. Utah Valley’s in-state schedule kicks off with a trip to Utah on Tuesday, Sept. 9. The Utes advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament and finished 25-6 in their first season in the Big 12. UVU then travels east to face Duke on Sept. 12 and Coastal Carolina on Sept. 13. The week before conference play features a string of in-state contests, starting at Weber State (Sept. 16) in Swenson Gym.

The nonconference schedule concludes at home against Utah State (Sept. 18) and BYU (Sept. 20). BYU finished 19-10 and 12-6 in the Big 12 before falling to Loyola Chicago in the NCAA first round. The Western Athletic Conference (WAC) schedule includes 12 matches in a home-and-home format. UVU opens league play with home matches against Abilene Christian (Sept. 25) and Tarleton State (Sept. 27).

October begins with a road trip to Utah Tech for the Old Hammer Rivalry, followed by a home match against UT Arlington, the defending WAC champions, on Oct. 9. Later in the month, the Wolverines will travel to face California Baptist (Oct. 16), and Southern Utah (Oct. 18). Utah Valley’s final three WAC home matches form one of the team’s longest home stands of the season, hosting Utah Tech (Oct. 25), Southern Utah (Oct. 30), and California Baptist (Nov. 1). UVU will then head to Texas for two final road trips. The first includes Tarleton State (Nov. 6) and UT Arlington (Nov. 8), followed by a match at Abilene Christian on Nov. 15.

The Wolverines will host the 2025 WAC Tournament at Lockhart Arena, set for Nov. 20-22, with an automatic NCAA Tournament bid on the line.

Women’s soccer makes coaching moves

Utah Valley University head women’s soccer coach Chris Lemay has announced the addition of former Wolverine standout CJ Graham to the staff as an assistant coach overseeing goalkeepers. Lemay also announced promotions within the program for Sydney Bushman and Ashton Gordon, who have each taken on elevated coaching roles heading into the 2025 season.

“Bringing CJ in as our goalkeeper coach is really exciting for our program,” Lemay said. “As a player, she proved her ability to compete and perform in the most critical moments. She is mature, dependable, hard working and has a passion for UVU Women’s Soccer. She will be a great mentor for our talented goalies.”

Graham returns to the program following a decorated collegiate career, including her final two seasons at Utah Valley. She helped guide the Wolverines to back-to-back Western Athletic Conference regular season championships in 2023 and 2024. In 2023, she started 13 matches in goal, allowing just nine total goals on the year while posting an 8-1-4 record with two shutouts. Her 0.78 goals against average set a new UVU single-season record, and her .804 save percentage ranks third all-time. She added 17 more appearances in 2024 as a graduate student, finishing her UVU career with 88 total saves and four shutouts.

Before joining UVU, Graham was a standout at Lipscomb University, earning ASUN Goalkeeper of the Year, First Team All-Conference, and United Soccer Coaches All-Region honors. She posted 21 career shutouts and led the Bisons to conference titles and an NCAA Tournament berth in 2021.

Along with the addition of Graham, Lemay announced that Sydney Bushman has been promoted into a full-time assistant coaching role. Bushman joined the UVU staff in 2024 after an impressive playing career in Orem. She started 75 of her 79 career matches as a defender, winning two WAC regular season titles and playing a key role in the program’s first NCAA Tournament win in 2020. She was named WAC Defensive Player of the Year in 2023 and helped UVU to seven shutouts during her senior season.

Ashton Gordon, who joined the staff in February as the Director of Operations, has also been elevated into a new coaching role and will take over Bushman’s previous position. Gordon brings a strong background as both a player and coach, having served as an assistant at the University of Pittsburgh in 2024 and having starred collegiately at Arkansas and Pitt. She helped lead Pitt to its first NCAA National Quarterfinal and ACC Semifinal in 2023. The staff updates position the Wolverines with an experienced and energized coaching unit heading into the 2025 campaign.