OREM, Utah — No. 15 BYU women’s volleyball swept Utah Valley University on Saturday in the Lockhart Area (25-16, 25-18, 25-20), moving to an 18-0 record over the Wolverines all-time.

The win brings BYU’s record to 10-1 on the season. The Cougars managed 48 kills and a .367 hitting percentage compared to UVU’s 32 kills and .163 clip. Defensively, BYU had 43 digs and four blocks.

Opposite hitter Kenzie Koerber led the Cougars with 18 kills and eight digs. Junior setter Whitney Bower tied her season-high of four kills and boasted an .800 clip. 

SET ONE
UVU’s Abbie Miller quickly registered back-to-back aces, putting UVU on the board. However, Koerber followed with three kills, tying the score at 4-4.

A tight score continued until junior middle blocker Heather Gneiting tallied two kills, followed with kills by both Koerber and senior outside hitter Taylen Ballard-Nixon. Tack on two consecutive aces by Ballard-Nixon and the gap widened to 12-6. The teams continued to trade points, while BYU held a comfortable seven-point lead at 18-11. Five kills later and a block by junior setter Whitney Bower and middle blocker Kennedy Eschenberg, BYU sealed the set-one win, 25-16.

SET TWO
Trailing UVU 2-0, Koerber’s seventh kill of the night and an ace by sophomore libero Madi Allen tied the teams. Staying within two points of each other, Ballard-Nixon contributed BYU’s sixth ace. Two kills by Bower propelled the Cougars ahead 10-7. The lead was short lived, facing a tie again at 11-11.

Koerber pounded three more kills, racking up a .750 clip. This would keep BYU in the lead, but UVU never trailed far behind. Ultimately, BYU’s .242 clip paired with 15 kills overpowered UVU, 25-18.

SET THREE
The Wolverines applied high pressure to the Cougars. The teams remained within a point of each other, tying seven times when reaching 7-7. BYU broke away at 16-12, thanks to two kills by Ballard-Nixon and a kill by Koerber.

BYU held a five-point lead, until UVU put together a 5-0 run, bringing the score to 18-17. Five kills by four Cougars finished the night in BYU’s favor, 25-20.

Next week, BYU will host Pacific in the Smith Fieldhouse in a West Coast Conference matchup on Thursday, Sept. 23 at 7 p.m. MDT.

PROVO, Utah — Back from winning two out of three matches in Pittsburgh, No. 15 BYU prepares to face two in-state rivals this week, No. 10 University of Utah and Utah Valley University, Sept. 16 and 18. 

On Thursday, the Cougars will host the Utes in the Smith Fieldhouse. BYU holds a 73-29 all-time record over Utah. However, when the teams most recently met in Dec. 2019, Utah took the victory at home.

On Saturday in the Lockhart Arena, the Wolverines will host the Cougars. BYU has never lost to UVU, holding a 17-0 record.

No. 15 Brigham Young University Cougars (8-1, 0-0 West Coast Conference)

• Most recently competed in the Panther Challenge in Pittsburgh, Penn. The Cougars swept two of their three competitors, bet fell to No. 4 Pitt. 
• Junior middle blocker Heather Gneiting boasts a .522 hitting percentage, ranking No. 2 in the NCAA.
• BYU ranks No. 6 in the NCAA as a team in hitting percentage (.316), No. 11 in aces per set (2.17), No. 16 in opposite hitting percentage (.126) and No. 24 in kills per set (13.93). The Cougars lead the WCC in all four categories. 
• The Cougars have swept seven of their nine opponents this season.

No. 10 University of Utah Utes (7-0, 0-0 Pac-12 Conference)

• Last week, the undefeated Utes swept Weber State and pulled off a 3-2 win over No. 3 Nebraska.
• The Pac-12 awarded Dani Drews Offensive Player of the Week. Drews had 18 kills and zero errors against Weber State last Thursday. Additionally, she posted 20 digs in those three sets of play.
• Utah ranks No. 8 in the NCAA in blocks per set (3.04) and No. 18 in assists per set (12.92).

Utah Valley University Wolverines (3-5, 0-0 Western Athletic Conference)

• Last week the Wolverines participated in the Lumberjack Classic, snagging two wins against UC Davis and Northern Arizona. The team fell to ASU.
• Makayla Pollard and Kanza Tanuvasa were named to the All-Tournament team, both notching 10+ kills.
• Kanza leads the team with 120 kills this season, followed by Kristen Bell with 63.
• Defensively, Bryton Bishop leads the team with 135 digs.

BROADCAST INFORMATION – Sept. 16

• Time: 7 p.m. MDT
• Live Stream: BYUtv/BYUtv App
• Live Stats: StatBroadcast

BROADCAST INFORMATION – Sept. 18

• Time: 6 p.m. MDT
• Live Stream: ESPN+
• Live Stats: StatBroadcast

TICKET INFORMATION

Purchase your tickets online via byutickets.com and uvu.universitytickets.com

MASK REQUIREMENT

Consistent with current Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and BYU requirements, BYU Athletics will require masks in indoor venues when physical distancing isn’t maintained. This includes a requirement for those attending indoor athletic events, such as volleyball in the Smith Fieldhouse and inside the loges at LaVell Edwards Stadium. Wearing a mask will be required for entry to indoor BYU venues. Masks will not be required for outdoor BYU venues.

BYU strongly urges students, employees and campus guests to follow recent counsel from the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to get vaccinated and wear masks.

The university will continue to monitor the situation and will reevaluate mask requirements at the end of September based on several factors including the immunization rate of the campus community, COVID-19 transmission and hospitalization rates, and guidance from health and government officials.