After four sets of action on Friday night, the No. 12 ranked University of Utah volleyball team fell to the Oregon State Beavers. Sophomore Brianna Doehrmann finished the night with four assists and 15 digs, and she believes that Utah must focus on getting back to the basics in order to get back on track. After starting the season with a 17-3 record, the Utes are now searching for a victory after earning their third consecutive loss.
“In the locker room we were talking about how we can’t really pinpoint it on one thing, but how lately we kind of need to get back on the fundamentals and back to the basics of things because we’re over thinking play by play,” Doehrmann said. “So I think that’s definitely something that has been an issue our past few games.”
The Utes started the match strong as they dominated the Beavers en route to a 25-16 first set win. After Utah took an early 7-1 lead, Oregon State called a time out before coming within one point. However, the Utes responded with a run of their own and scored nine of the next 13 points. The Utes went up 17-11 before running away with the remainder of the game.
Oregon State then made the changes it needed to make, and the Utes dropped the next three sets in Corvallis.
In the second set of the night the Beavers earned a 25-16 victory after finishing the set by claiming eight of the final 10 points to seal the deal. The Beavers also limited the Utes to .004 hitting during the frame.
“I think we have been starting off strong,” Doehrmann explained. “And then I feel like the other teams do a really good job of at making changes and we need to do a better job at making changes as well, as the game goes on.”
The Utes lost 25-20 in set three. They took an 11-10 lead to start the set, but the Beavers had an answer for everything the Utes did as they limited Adora Anae to 13 kills and one block on the night.
“Coach has made that known that we’re the ones with something to lose,” Doehrmann said. “These other teams don’t have anything to lose so it’s not so much a sense of urgency we need to have, but we need to be more aware that people are targeting us.”
To wrap the match up, the Utes were cut down 25-20. The Utes were up 16-14 but after an Oregon State timeout, the match was tied at 18-18. Oregon State distanced themselves from Utah by three points before going on to earn the win.
Utah returns to action on Thursday, Nov. 2 when it takes on the Washington State Cougars at 7 p.m. MT at the Huntsman Center.
“I’m happy that we’re home this week because we have a lot more time in the gym to focus back on the basics and get back in our groove of things,” Doehrmann said.
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