Already down a set Sunday in Tempe against Arizona State, the Utes were facing the prospect of
a 2-0 deficit. The Sun Devils had
set point, so Utah head coach Beth Launiere called timeout. When the Utes returned to the court, they focused on their strength, coming up with three straight blocks to cap- ture the set 26-24.
The momentum they gained from the comeback carried over into the next two sets and they won the match (22-25, 26-24, 25-21, 25-19). The victory halted a five- match losing streak.
“In the middle of set two I thought we were starting to play some really good volleyball,” Launiere said. “I just talked with them about sticking with it. Our team did a really nice job with making adjustments, doing what we talked about in carrying out the game plan. It was going to start turning our way because we were playing pretty good volleyball.”
After the match, Utah players couldn’t remember exactly what their coach had told them
in that timeout, but her message sparked a greater level of intensity throughout the rest of the contest. Junior outside hitter Chelsey Schofield had a big game for the Utes, finishing with 18 kills on a .385 hitting percentage to go along with 11 digs. It was her 11th double- double of the season.
“We were just ready to move on, ready to move onto the next game,” Schofield said. “Not really anything went through our minds except for ‘Next play, next play.’ ”
Schofield was one of two Utah players to finish with a double- double, as Morgan Odale posted 13 kills and 16 digs. Shelby Dalton produced a .519 hitting percentage, contributing 16 kills to go along with seven assisted blocks.
“It feels awesome,” Odale said of the victory. “This was a huge win for us. It was a pretty dang big win for us. It basically showed where we were going to be placed in the Pac-12. If we lost this game then we probably would not make it to the [NCAA] Tournament, but now we have a chance to get in.”
The Utes and Sun Devils entered the match with identical records. Combined with its win and Colorado’s loss to Arizona Sunday afternoon, Utah moved into seventh place in the conference. The Utes will likely need to finish the regular season in that spot to make the tournament.
Utah’s win on Sunday was not just a chance to keep its tournament hopes alive — it also served as a confidence booster as the Utes go into their final four matches. Utah will have its final two home contests this weekend against Oregon and Oregon State. Odale said Sunday’s win intensifies the Utes’ mindset going into their final matches.
“I feel like we have a new edge,” she said. “It is a new feeling. We have been playing with more of a crunch time, us diving in and hitting it. We all seriously want to get into the NCAA Tournament. This is us having a sense of urgency and an overwhelming feeling of ‘it’s go time.’”
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“It feels awesome,” Odale said of the victory. “This was a huge win for us. It was a pretty dang big win for us. It basically showed where we were going to be placed in the Pac-12. If we lost this game then we probably would not make it to the [NCAA] Tournament, but now we have a chance to get in.”
The Utes and Sun Devils entered the match with identical records. Combined with its win and Colorado’s loss to Arizona Sunday afternoon, Utah moved into seventh place in the conference. The Utes will likely need to finish the regular season in that spot to make the tournament.
Utah’s win on Sunday was not just a chance to keep its tournament hopes alive — it also served as a confidence booster as the Utes go into their final four matches. Utah will have its final two home contests this weekend against Oregon and Oregon State. Odale said Sunday’s win intensifies the Utes’ mindset going into their final matches.
“I feel like we have a new edge,” she said. “It is a new feeling. We have been playing with more of a crunch time, us diving in and hitting it. We all seriously want to get into the NCAA Tournament. This is us having a sense of urgency and an overwhelming feeling of ‘it’s go time.’”
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