Following a loss against No. 7 Oregon and a win against Oregon State, the University of Utah Volleyball team (10-16, 5-11 Pac-12) went on the road to take on the Arizona Wildcats and the No. 17 Arizona State Sun Devils.
Arizona
On Thursday, the Utes traveled to Tucson to take on the Arizona Wildcats. In the first set, both teams traded the first four points. It didn’t take long for the Wildcats to find their stride though, as they completed a 4-0 run. The Wildcats would continue to ride this momentum, further creating distance from the Utes. Arizona would go on to win the first set, 25-16.
The Utes started the second set strong, going on a 5-0 run to take the early four-point lead. A block by the Wildcats tied the match at eight points. From here, both teams continued to remain neck-and-neck with each other. Tied 21-21, the Wildcats took control, going on a 4-1 run. A service error scored the final point, giving the Wildcats the two-set advantage in the match.
With the two-set lead, the Wildcats went into the third set looking to complete the sweep. The competitiveness of the previous set persisted, as both teams maintained close proximity with each other. The Wildcats slowly accumulated points, eventually producing a four-point lead.
Despite the deficit, the Utes found their stride, producing a 6-0 run. With the lead now in their possession, the Utes never looked back, riding their momentum to a set-point opportunity. A kill by Emrie Satuala won the set for Utah, 25-22.
In the fourth set, the Wildcats looked to finish the job once again. Arizona took an early lead, but the Utes worked from behind to tie the game at six. Arizona would then go on a 4-1 run, once again creating separation. Then, for the second time in the set, the Utes fought to catch up to the Wildcats.
Arizona then produced another significant scoring run to give them the lead. This time, the Wildcats held on tight to the lead as they marched towards the set win. A Utes’ service error won the set for the Wildcats, 25-18. With the set win, Arizona defeated Utah three sets to one.
No. 17 Arizona State
Following the loss to the Wildcats, the Utes traveled to play the No. 17-ranked Arizona State Sun Devils. In the first set, the Utes fired off to a quick 3-0 lead. The Sun Devils quickly cut their deficit, tying the game at seven. From here, tight competition ensued, with neither team taking a lead larger than three points.
With the Utes leading 22-21 late in the set, the Sun Devils would go on a 4-1 run. An attack error from the Utes resulted in the 25th point for Arizona State, giving them the first-set victory of the match.
In the second set, the tight competition continued, with both teams finding themselves tied at 11. From here, the Sun Devils found their stride, going on a 5-0 run. Later, the Utes responded with a 3-0 scoring run, threatening to tie the set once again. A kill by Kamry Bailey brought the Utes within one point of the Sun Devils’ lead. Arizona State quickly responded with a 4-1 run.
Later in the set, the Utes found themselves down 24-21, with the Sun Devils threatening a set victory. The Utes produced a 3-0 run to foil Arizona State’s plans. The teams continued to trade points until the Sun Devils found themselves with another set-point opportunity. An error by the Utes earned the final point of the set for the Sun Devils, as they won 27-25.
In the third set, Arizona State looked to sweep the Utes, while Utah looked to extend the match. Both teams traded the first 16 points, resulting in an 8-8 tie. A service ace from Mary Shroll gave the Sun Devils a two-point lead, which was quickly matched by the Utes. Shortly after, Arizona produced their second 3-0 run of the set, forcing Utah to call a timeout.
Coming out of the timeout, the Sun Devils refused to slow down, extending their lead to five points. Three attack errors in a row gave Arizona State the final three points of the set. The Sun Devils won the set, 25-17, and the match, 3-0.
Next Up
Following back-to-back road losses, the Utes will return to Salt Lake City for two home matches. On Friday, the Utes will take on the Washington Huskies at 7:00 p.m. MST. In their previous match-up, the Utes lost a five-set thriller. Then, on Sunday, the Utes will match up against the Washington State Cougars at noon. In October, the Cougars defeated the Utes in straight sets.
