Winning eight straight matches and having an undefeated record at home could be a recipe for a conference champion, however, the University of Utah’s volleyball team is still in second place at the moment and will face conference leader Colorado State on Saturday, Nov. 3.
The Utes cannot look ahead to the big match, though, as they have a match on Friday against Wyoming.
The winning streak started for the Utes on Oct. 6 in Laramie, Wyo., as they crushed the Cowgirls, and they could very well end against Wyoming if the Utes look ahead to CSU.
However, that is unlikely because of the Utes play as of late and the great individual efforts that have contributed to this great winning streak.
Add that to the fact that the Utes are unbeatable at home, and you might find Utah coming out of this weekend 2 0.
Setting the Table
Ever since sophomore Jackie Morrill took over the reins on the primary setting job for the Utes, the team has been unbeatable. That has allowed freshman Kelsie Kartchner to settle into a lesser role and expand her all-around play.
Never was the setting as potent as it was against New Mexico, when the ball distribution resulted in six players recording 10 kills or more.
The attack percentages have drastically improved over the past few matches, and the Utes are finally taking advantage of their physical dominance at the net.
Stilson Dominating Defenses
As a senior, McKelle Stilson has contributed many things to the team, however, none are as important as her consistency in racking up clutch kills for the Utes.
She was instrumental in the win against BYU, as she racked up 16 kills, and over the past three matches, she has averaged a little over 12 kills a match.
Defensive Prowess
Opposing teams’ attack percentages have never looked so weak, as the Utes’ defense has dominated the net and has been furiously chasing after every ball hit at them.
With Adrianne Bradley-Drake and Kim Turner dominating the defensive net, the Utes have been scoring more and more on blocks.
Furthermore, Sylva Strzinkov’s digs have been huge, as she had 11 digs vs. Utah State and 18 against New Mexico.
Never has the defense looked as great as it did against Air Force, as the Falcons hitting percentage was just ?.068.