That has been the motto for the Utes all season long, and thanks to early season success and a positive finish, they have officially reached a goal they’ve been eyeing all year. The team found out Sunday night on ESPNU’s Selection Show that it has earned a berth to the NCAA Tournament, where it will play Yale in the first round on Friday in University Park, Pa. It is the first tournament berth for the Utes since 2008 when they made it to the Sweet 16.
“There is not a better feeling for a coach to see their program’s name come up,” said Utah head coach Beth Launiere. “There is just so much work to go into getting your name up on that bracket. I am so proud for these players more than anything. Happy for them and happy for our program. It was a lot of hard work going into finding our way through the Pac-12 and how to get there in a new conference, there is just a lot of work that goes into it.”
The Utes finished the season ranked No. 26 in the RPI after going 20-12 overall and 9-11 in conference play. The big key for Utah was winning three of its last five matches, including the final regular season match against UCLA last Friday. Launiere said those last matches were what really brought out the best in the team.
Seniors Morgan Odale and Erin Redd-Brandon in particular stepped up as the season came to a close in an effort to get to the tournament in their final season.
“The journey is always hard,” Redd-Brandon said. “Things that are worth doing are usually never easy. We have had our ups and downs and have had some things that we have had to get over, but have also had the great times. I would not trade it for anything. This journey has been awesome, and I am excited to see it continue.”
Yale will come into Friday as the regular season champion of the Ivy League. The Bulldogs
went 20-4 overall and 13-1 in conference play. They have won their last five matches and are led by All-Ivy League junior outside hitter Mollie Rogers, who leads the team with 253 kills on the year with an average of 3.05 kills per set.
The Utes will travel to Pennsylvania on Wednesday in preparation for Friday’s match. Odale recognizes that, unlike the regular season, a loss means Utah’s season and her collegiate career will be over.
“We plan to beat them,” Odale said. “Both teams have grown and changed throughout the year, and we are a new team, so we just have to bring our best to the table so that we can win.”
The match is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. EST on Friday.