The Utah volleyball team isn’t complaining about their inflated win column -— a win is a win, after all. But they are realizing they have to improve their game if they want to compete against top tier Pac-12 teams.
Utah (12-1, 1-0) is coming off of a conference opening win over Colorado (8-2, 0-1). It was the third consecutive time the Utes went five sets following the matches against New Mexico State and BYU. Although Utah is 3-1 in games that go into extra sets, Utah is focused on getting better before hosting the No. 4 USC Trojans (11-1, 1-0) on Sunday.
“Every area we need to be more consistent,” says head coach Beth Launiere. “So we will be creating situations in practice where they have to execute. Little different things are breaking down all over the place at different times. We just got to have a higher standard of doing the right thing in every contest and practice.”
Utah blew a 16-11 lead in the fourth set against Colorado because of offensive errors. The Utes committed 23 attack errors and 13 serving errors in the match, something that displease Launiere.
The Utes were saved by their defense Tuesday night, as they have been throughout the season. Sophomore setter Kendall Cygan had 15 of the team’s 69 digs, 73 sets and three serving aces. Cygan explained the errors were mostly mental.
“There are times when our offense will be great and our defense will be lacking,” Cygan says. “Or when our defense is great and our offense is lacking. It’s like a little switch that flips the mental aspect of the game that has been hitting us.”
Junior outside hitter Shelby Dalton, who leads the team with 140 kills this season, concurred with Cygan and says the Utes tend to take its foot off the gas pedal when things are going well.
“We kind of back up a little bit because we are doing well,” Dalton says. “Then the other team takes advantage of that. It’s all about if you are struggling in one thing you can make it up somewhere else.”
USC comes to Utah fresh off a victory over rival UCLA (25-23, 25-22, 21-25, 25-16). The fourth-ranked Trojans are led by sophomore outside hitter Samantha Bricio with 125 kills and is No. 3 nationally in aces per set. USC ranks 16th in the nation in team hitting percentage at .286.
The Utes rank seventh nationally in blocks per set. Utah will rely on defense once again to slow the Trojans.
“Every match is different,” Launiere says. “Colorado tipped and up-speeded a lot, and we handled. But [Southern California] is not going to do that. They are going to pound the ball and be very physical. But I think our defense has tremendously improved. Now we got to keep that up.”
The action gets underway at 1 p.m. Sunday at the Huntsman Center. The match will be broadcasted by Pac-12 networks.