Two nights, 10 sets• Traveling to Oregon is a tough road trip to begin with. Having two matches in two nights is an even tougher challenge. Playing five sets in both of those matches is the ultimate challenge.
The Utes played against Oregon State on Friday and then Oregon on Saturday, with both of these matches going to five sets. The Utes lost both matches.
Utah started off against the Beavers with a 26-24 first-set win, but then fell in the next set 25-21. The Utes took set No. 3, but then the Beavers stepped their game up and demolished the Utes in the fourth set, 25-13. The Utes kept the game close in the last set, going up 8-4 to start, but eventually fell 15-12 at Gill Stadium in Corvallis.
Career Nights for Everyone • In both games, the Utes let an opponent record a career high in kills. Mary-Kate Marshall, the Beavers’ outside hitter, recorded 30 kills for her team, a match high and a career high for herself. She also recorded a .266 hitting percentage. Marshall led the Beavers all night and recorded a few crucial kills late in the match to spark her team to a victory.
Martenne Bettendorf, Oregon’s outside hitter, recorded a career high 25 kills against the Utes in their second match in as many nights.
A few Utes had career highs of their own, also. Tess Sutton and Megan Shughrou both recorded career highs in digs against the Beavers with 27 and 14, respectively. Jessie Jorgensen set her career high in assists with 30 against the Ducks on Saturday night.
Utes MVP • Adora Anae did her best to carry the Utes in both matches in Oregon by recording 19 kills against Oregon State and then 21 kills against the Ducks. She also helped out on the defensive side, recording a total of 20 digs over the weekend.
Pac-12 Point • Utah now falls to 1-3 in Pac-12 play, which places it near the bottom of the conference. The Utes have a tough schedule coming up against conference opponents, including UCLA and Stanford, and will need to pull off a few upset wins in the upcoming weeks if they want to stay alive in the conference. Oregon and Oregon State both move up in the standings with 2-2 records.
Coach’s Corner • “Honestly I’m encouraged by the way we played this weekend. I think that it was some of the best volleyball we’ve played. I felt like players stepped up in their roles. I think it’s a great place to continue to build from.” — Utah head coach Beth Launiere
Next up: The Utes play next against UCLA in the Huntsman Center on Oct. 9.
@twelvegage96