Balanced attack leads No. 1 BYU to sweep of Weber State

OGDEN, Utah – A balanced offensive attack led No. 1 BYU women’s volleyball to a sweep of Weber State (25-18, 25-18, 25-16) Saturday afternoon at the Swenson Gym to conclude nonconference play.

“We put together a solid match today,” BYU head coach Heather Olmstead said. “We took some really nice high swings and a lot of people got involved. I’m proud of the way the team has played through the preseason. We’re looking forward to starting conference play next week.”

McKenna Miller led the Cougars with 14 kills on a .455 clip. Jones-Perry followed with 13 kills on a .417 clip. Lyndie Haddock-Eppich collected 42 assists and Mary Lake had 10 digs. Heather Gneiting contributed three blocks and seven kills and Kennedy Eschenberg put up eight kills in the win.

Weber State (5-4) jumped out to a 5-2 lead to start the first set after several BYU (10-0) miscues. The Wildcats stayed in front at 11-9 following a block, but Eschenberg had back-to-back kills to put the Cougars ahead, 13-11. A 6-1 run extended BYU’s advantage to seven at 22-15, and a Jones-Perry kill ended the set 25-18.

The score was tied at 4-4 in the second set following a Weber State ace. A roll-shot kill from Madelyn Robinson pushed the Cougars ahead 8-4, forcing a timeout from the Wildcats. Weber State errors and kills by both Miller and Jones-Perry helped BYU stay ahead 18-9. Despite a 7-0 Weber State run on set point for the Cougars, BYU won the set 25-18 after an Eschenberg kill.  

Just like the second set, the third set began tied 4-4. The Wildcats kept the set competitive, taking a 10-9 lead on a kill. BYU slowly inched ahead, however, taking a 16-12 lead on a Miller kill. Several more kills from Miller helped the Cougars to match point before a Gneiting kill ended the set 25-16.

BYU begins West Coast Conference play next, facing Pacific at home Thursday, Sept. 20, at 7 p.m. MDT. The match will be televised live on BYUtv. Live stats can be found on the BYU women’s volleyball schedule page.