The two teams waited nearly two and a half hours through a lightning delay that stopped play at the 21:46 mark. Play finally resumed nearly three hours after kickoff at 8:50.

The Wolverines honored their 11 graduating players — Ben Williams, Jaret Rocha, Abdou Samb, Gilles Aurelien, Jacob Vincent, Keegan Oyler, Keith Willey, Noah Pogue, Elijah Gozo, Deontae Ben, and Alex Fritcher — with a ceremony postgame.

Utah Valley got on the board quickly in the 6th minute after knifing through the middle of the Air Force defense. Aurelien fed a square ball to Jose Luis Martin Montealegre, whose pass deflected off Grau and settled for Emojong, who struck it with his first touch into the top-right corner.

Grau had two shots in quick succession in the 8th and 9th minutes, but the first was saved at the near post and the latter was blocked before it could reach the net.

After the weather delay, the Wolverines came out hot with shots by Martin Montealegre and Grau being saved, but nothing to show for it.

The Falcons got momentum on their side and carried it into an equalizer in the 34th minute. Oliver Becker’s shot from the top of the box took a wicked deflection and shot the opposite way Kolby Sessions was diving.

Grau earned a penalty kick in the 77th minute after a scramble in the box resulted in the Spaniard being chopped down by the Air Force keeper. Grau then converted the spot kick.

Utah Valley will have a quick turnaround, hosting the San José State Spartans on Saturday night. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. MDT, and tickets can be purchased at GoUVU.com/MSOCtix.

Women’s soccer earns draw at Utah Tech

ST. GEORGE — Nixan Jackson recorded a brace to help Utah Valley earn a 3-3 draw with in-state WAC foe Utah Tech in Thursday night’s Old Hammer Rivalry match at Greater Zion Stadium.

“Credit to Utah Tech, they had a great game plan and executed well,” UVU head coach Chris Lamay said. “They looked like they wanted it more than us. We will address the issues that we had this evening and try and come out Sunday with more energy, concentration and pride.”

Utah Tech struck first in the 23rd minute on a Jocelyn Wright goal. Utah Valley answered in the 38th when Bailey Peterson beat a defender down the left side and sent a cross into the box. Ruby Hladek’s shot was blocked, but Jackson pounced on the rebound for the equalizer. The Wolverines went in front in the 49th minute after a foul in the area, with Faith Webber converting the penalty–her 10th goal of the season–to make it 2-1.

The Trailblazers leveled at 2-2 in the 67th minute through Ava Talaeai. Just a minute later, Jackson restored the UVU lead by cleaning up a scramble on the goal line in the 68th to make it 3-2. Utah Tech’s Kyah Le netted the final equalizer in the 73rd to finish the scoring at 3-3.

Utah Valley continues its WAC road swing on Sunday at Southern Utah in Cedar City. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. MT on ESPN+.

Women’s volleyball sweeps UT Arlington

Utah Valley University defeated UT Arlington, 3-0 (25-16, 26-24, 25-21) on Thursday night at the Smith Fieldhouse.

UVU (7-9, 3-1) hit .307 as a team, their second highest of the season and best since the sweep of St. John’s in Hawaii.

Sami Blackett had a double-double, finishing with 12 kills on 27 attempts (.370), and adding 15 digs, with right side Olivia Gloeckner going for ten kills on 19 swings (.474). Bella Wooden had a solid match, recording seven kills and six blocks. UTA (9-7, 1-3) was led by Jalie Tritt, who finished with 14 kills and 11 digs.

The Wolverines will not play for another week when they travel to Riverside to take on California Baptist on Thursday, Oct. 16, before wrapping up the road trip on Saturday, Oct. 18, at Southern Utah. They will next be home for a potential first-place showdown with Utah Tech on Saturday, Oct. 25. The match is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. MT inside Lockhart Arena.

Men’s basketball hires two new staff members

Utah Valley University men’s basketball head coach Todd Phillips has announced the hiring of Jackson Kelly as the program’s new Head Strength and Conditioning Coach as well as Silas Mills as the program’s Director of Player Development.

Kelly joins the Wolverines ahead of the 2025-26 season after spending the 2024-25 campaign at Winthrop University, where he worked with the men’s basketball program that posted a 23-11 record and advanced to the Big South Conference Championship game. In addition to his role with men’s basketball, he also worked with Winthrop’s women’s volleyball, women’s lacrosse, men’s soccer, men’s and women’s golf, and cross country programs.

“We’re excited to have Jackson join our basketball staff,” said Phillips. “He’s an all-in guy. We hired him on a Tuesday and by the following Monday he had flown halfway across the country to be here and get to work. That commitment and energy is exactly what we want in our program.”

Mills brings a wealth of experience to Orem after a 14-year professional playing career overseas and in the CBA, followed by more than 15 years of coaching at the college and high school levels.

“We’re thrilled to add Silas to our program,” Phillips said. “He brings tremendous energy and a wealth of experience from playing professionally overseas. His passion for the game and his ability to connect with players will make an immediate impact on our program.”

Mills began his collegiate playing career at the University of Utah under Rick Majerus before transferring to Salt Lake Community College, where he played for legendary coach Norm Parrish. Mills was instrumental in helping SLCC reach its first-ever NJCAA National Tournament appearance and a top-five national ranking. He later transferred to Utah State University, where he played under Coach Larry Eustachy and helped lead the Aggies to a Big West Conference championship.

Professionally, Mills’ career included stops in Greece, Italy, Spain, Argentina, Turkey, and France, in addition to the Yakima Sun Kings of the CBA, where he was named Finals MVP in 2000. His accolades include Big West First Team honors (1995-96), All-CBA First Team (2000), and CBA Playoff MVP.