No. 12 BYU overpowers High Point in straight sets

PITTSBURGH, Penn — No. 12 BYU women’s volleyball notched its seventh sweep of the season, against High Point University in Pittsburgh, Penn on Saturday (25-17, 25-19, 25-19).

The win moves the Cougars to 8-1 this season wraps up the Cougars' week at the Panther Challenge, where they went 2-1, the only loss coming to No. 4 Pitt.

Junior middle blocker Heather Gneiting and sophomore outside hitter Erin Livingston led BYU offensively, each notching nine kills. Middle blocker Kennedy Eschenberg followed with eight kills and the team’s highest hitting percentage, .500. 

Offensively, BYU finished with 44 kills and a .306 team hitting percentage. The Cougars also proved dominant defensively, holding the Panthers to a .178 clip.

This was the first ever matchup between BYU and High Point.

SET ONE
Opposite hitter Kenzie Koerber, Livingston and Gneiting all tallied two quick kills, followed by an ace from Koerber. These moments propelled BYU just barely ahead, 10-9. Not backing down, the Panthers racked up a 4-0 run to tie it up at 13-13. High Point would squeeze out four more points. However, five quick kills by BYU solidified the win, 25-17.

SET TWO
Right away, Eschenberg laid down two kills. Matching her energy, Livingston tallied another three, giving the Cougars a more comfortable lead, 11-5. BYU never let go of its lead. While High Point hit an improved clip of .243, the team’s four service errors contrasted BYU’s four aces. In the end, BYU took the second set, 25-19.

SET THREE
A kill by opposite hitter Kate Grimmer and an ace by junior setter Whitney Bower gave BYU a 2-0 lead. This lead died quickly as High Point hit four kills, bringing the score to 6-3 for High Point. At 14-10, BYU went on a 7-0 run, thanks to two aces by libero Aria McComber. Tack on another four kills by Eschenberg to complete BYU's comeback, and the Cougars wrapped up the sweep at 25-19.

Up next, BYU will face No. 20 University of Utah in the Smith Fieldhouse on Thursday, Sep. 16 at 7 p.m. MDT.