If for no other reason than unfamiliarity, there are always questions when a freshman is thrust into the spotlight. After starting junior libero Lea Adolph suffered a concussion at Oregon State 13 days ago, freshman Tess Sutton has started in her place.
Through three matches in her new role, the Bonsall, Calif. native has collected 40 digs. She tallied 15 against Arizona State last Thursday and then topped that with 16 against Arizona on Sunday. She also had a service ace against the Wildcats to add to her impressive play.
“She is a very good athlete,” Utah head coach Beth Launiere said of the shortest player on the Utes’ roster. “Everyone notices her because of her size, but they don’t notice how good of an athlete she is. She is just able to make plays because of her athleticism.”
Sutton has been grateful for the opportunity she has had to be in the starting lineup and is learning that her new role helps her bond with her teammates.
“I think it’s great, because I get my team’s trust as a freshman,” she said. “Being on the court helps me gain my team’s trust in them, so it just makes me want to be really good every single time I get out there.”
Launiere said Adolph is ready to play again, but Sutton will continue to start at libero for the Utes, and Adolph will be put in matches from time to time as a defensive specialist or a libero when needed.
Redd-Brandon earns second Pac-12 weekly honor
Senior middle blocker Erin Redd-Brandon was named the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week on Monday for her performances against Arizona State and Arizona last Thursday and Sunday. She also received the honor on Sept. 2.
Redd-Brandon averaged exactly two blocks per set in the two matches. She leads the conference with 1.45 blocks per set, which is good enough for 12th nationally.
“It takes somebody that just loves the game and loves to work hard, that does their best to help their teammates,” Redd-Brandon said of the type of player who receives such recognition. “For an athlete to have that desire to work hard and do their best, that’s when you gain the recognition for that.”
In addition to her stellar defensive play, Redd-Brandon was also an offensive force against the Sun Devils and Wildcats. In the two matches, she posted 24 kills and five aces, four of which came in the Utes’ upset win over Arizona. She has a .344 hitting percentage on the season and has accumulated 290.5 points.
Led by Redd-Brandon, Utah is fifth in the nation in blocks per set with a 2.96 average.
Serve’s up
Though the Utes have won four of their past five matches, they have struggled serving the ball during that span. In the five contests, Utah has committed 39 serving errors, including 21 in its past two matches. A serving error turns the ball over and gives the opponent a point, something Launiere and the rest of the Utes don’t want to see.
“The routine is very important, because it’s the one skill you are in control of,” Launiere said. “People’s tosses were getting inconsistent, they were rushing the serves. We got them slowing down, taking a deep breath, a little visualization and serve tough. So we tried to clean it all up and clean up the routine.”
Utah’s 12 service errors against Arizona were the second most the team has committed in conference play. The Utes committed 13 in the Pac-12 opener against Colorado.