“I am really proud of how the team performed tonight,” UVU head coach Sam Atoa said. “Playing two home games this week off campus has been hard but I am very pleased how the team is handling it. They have embraced these challenges and have done a tremendous job. I thought our setters (Natalie Riggs and Evalyn Chism) did a great job running the offense tonight. Both opposites, Olivia (Gloeckner) and Alyssa (Erickson), did a great job hitting which help compliment what Lyv (Jaffa) and Bella (Wooden) did in the middle. I was happy how Avery responded tonight after struggling a bit on Thursday. It’s great to see them manage the difficult situations and stay in control.”

Riggs made a significant impact with a service ace and 21 assists, tying Lacee Koelliker with 124 career service aces. Blackett’s performance in this match was notable, as she passed Sarah Clement for 14th all-time in kills.

Utah Valley capitalized on a series of errors and kills, with Page contributing consecutive kills and Erickson adding another, leading to a 9-4 advantage in Set 1. Page secured the final point with a kill to give her four kills on eight swings in the first, giving Utah Valley a 25-20 victory.

In the second set, the Wolverines maintained momentum with a mix of kills and service errors from the Texans, extending their lead to 11-6. A key 6-0 run saw the Wolverines expand their advantage to 19-11, highlighted by a service ace from Wooden and a block by Jaffa and Gloeckner. Despite a late push by Tarleton State, Utah Valley secured the set 25-16, clinching the final point on an attack error by Emma Burke.

The third set featured strong performances from Page, who recorded seven kills, including the decisive point assisted by Blackett. Tarleton State fought back to tie the set at 14-14, capitalizing on several Utah Valley attack errors. However, consistent play from Page and Blackett’s six kills allowed the Wolverines to maintain a narrow edge and ultimately close out the set 25-23.

The Wolverines (6-8 overall, 2-0 WAC) next travel to St. George for the first installment of the Old Hammer Rivalry against Utah Tech. The match is scheduled for Saturday at noon in Burns Arena.

Women’s soccer pounces on Abilene Christian

Josie Shepherd scored twice to lead Utah Valley University to a 5-1 win over Abilene Christian on Saturday night at UCCU Stadium.

Utah Valley stays perfect in Western Athletic Conference play at 2-0-0 and improves to 6-4-1 overall. Abilene Christian falls to 4-7-0 and 0-2-0 in the WAC.

The Wolverines struck in the seventh minute when Taylor Nelson served a cross from the left side. After a scramble in front, Faith Webber punched it home for a 1-0 lead. In the 17th minute, a shot from Nixan Jackson was deflected inside the box and fell to Shepherd, who buried it from 10 yards for her first of the night. Seven minutes later, Jackson drove a cross into the middle that Ruby Hladek headed into the left side of the net to make it 3-0.

Shepherd added her second goal in the 38th minute, one-timing Jackson’s pass into the lower-left corner for a 4-0 advantage.

fifth counter came in the 70th when Marie Quentel slipped a ball to Jacey Wood on the right side of the box and Wood lashed a left-footed strike into the upper-left corner.

UVU head coach Chris Lemay called it a productive start to the WAC schedule on both ends of the field.

“When you score 10 goals on the weekend and concede only one, that’s a good weekend,” Lemay said. “We picked up six important points. I thought we were sharper in the first half than the second, but it was great to see Josie score twice, Jacey hit a banger, and Ruby, Faith and Nixan continue to be productive. Overall, you’ve got to be happy, and now we’ll look to keep things rolling into next week.”

Shepherd said the move higher up the field helped her find the scoresheet.

“I’ve been itching for a goal, and it felt great tonight,” she said. “I’ve been playing the six and just got moved up to the 10, and Nixan is so good at setting me up. Our preseason was tough against some great teams, but that built our confidence. Starting conference 2-0 is huge because this is what gets us to the tournament. We’ve had different lineups and a lot of different people scoring, and it really feels like our offense is clicking.”

Utah Valley outshot ACU 39-4 with a 15-2 edge in shots on frame and earned 19 corner kicks — just four shy of the NCAA single-game record of 23 set by Wisconsin in 2009. Webber took a match-high 10 shots, including two on target, while Jackson tallied nine with five on goal. Goalkeeper Leah Wolf made one save in 59 minutes without allowing a goal.

Utah Valley (6-4-1 overall, 2-0 WAC) wraps up a three-match homestand on Friday against California Baptist. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. MT at UCCU Stadium, and the match will air on ESPN+.