Eager Utah volleyball fans streamed into the Huntsman Center on Saturday to catch their first glimpse of the 2015 squad in action at the annual Red-White Scrimmage. They excitedly cheered on the white-clad Utes, whose spot at No. 23 in the AVCA Preseason Rankings marks their first appearance in the poll since 2009 and has Ute fans optimistic about the upcoming season.
An especially warm welcome was extended to the Red team, which contained program alumni and fan-favorites Bailey Bateman, Kalee Kirby, Kate Robison-Holdeman and Cinthia Silva-Angus with the rest of the spots filled by current players throughout the match.
The annual competition against alumni aims at providing the team with a chance to come together and compete in a low-pressure setting before kicking off the regular season. The combination of a young team and a few new coaches meant this year’s match was an important opportunity for the Utes to work out issues before the season starts.
“We had to approach [the scrimmage] like it was game day. Obviously it didn’t have the intensity, but it was very important for us to go through the routine,” said Utah head coach Beth Launiere. “We have a lot of new players and new coaches that we need to go through all of the routines with so that we are comfortable for next Friday.”
While the match was mostly relaxed, there was still some exciting play. The White team relied on a dominant performance up front to cruise to 25-10 victory over Red in the opening set. Utah’s high-powered offense was led by Adora Anae and redshirt sophomore Carly Trueman who tallied three kills apiece.
The second set played out in a similar manner, with another explosive showing from the White offense resulting in a 25-13 win. The Utes demonstrated a well-balanced attack, as junior Alyssa Koenig led the Utes with five kills and sophomores Eliza Katoa and Anae each bagged three kills. Strong offensive performances from several Utes showcased White’s offensive versatility and riled up fans, who hope the team’s strong performance up front will carry over into the regular season.
After some adjustments to the lineups of both teams, Red seemed to finally hit their stride in the third set. Despite the Red team’s improved offensive effort, White bested them again 25-17 to complete the sweep.
To the delight of Utah fans, an extra fourth set was played to give the team more time together on the court. This last set was hard-fought and featured some impressive play on both sides of the net. In the end, White came out on top 25-19.
The scrimmage capped off the Utes’ summer training. Launiere said the team was very committed and focused during their practices, and she is pleased with the progression of the younger players.
“The freshmen came in and I didn’t think they were super nervous or anything and I think they did a really nice job,” said Launiere. “We’re a young team. Even our sophomores aren’t very experienced but I think they are finding their way.”
White team outside hitter Anae led the match with 13 kills and was also pleased with the team’s performance in the match and how the team is coming along.
“I thought we did great,” Anae said. “We have a young team and obviously we’re still building, but we did a great job offensively and defensively.”
One of the challenges for young teams is matching offensive intensity with strong defense, and Launiere said the team is looking to improve on that aspectof their play before its competition this upcoming weekend.
Anae agrees the team is continually striving to improve on some of the smaller things, such as communication and team chemistry as the season draws near, but they are excited to put the double-days and summer practices behind them and jump into the season.
“Everybody is pumped right now for our first tournament because we’ve been working really hard all offseason and now the season’s finally coming up,” said Anae. “I think we’re ready.”
Utah will open its regular season hosting Idaho State this Friday at 7 p.m. in the Huntsman Center.
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