Press Release courtesy of Utah Athletics.
Match 12: #16 Utah vs. #25 Colorado
Friday, Sept. 22 | 7 p.m. MT
Salt Lake City, Utah | Huntsman Center
TV: Pac-12 Network
Stream: Pac-12 NOW
Live Stats
Match 13: #16 Utah vs. California
Friday, Sept. 15| 2 p.m. MT
Salt Lake City, Utah | Huntsman Center
TV: Pac-12 Network
Stream: Pac-12 NOW
Live Stats
FIVE THINGS TO KNOW
• The Utes closed out non-conference play going 9-2 overall. Utah’s only losses came to a pair of top-15 ranked squads, and both losses went five sets.
• Utah is ranked among the nation’s top 10 teams in both assists (No. 7, 13.8/set) and hitting percentage (No. 8, .302). The Utes’ .302 hitting percentage is tops in the Pac-12 Conference.
• Utah is 4-2 in Pac-12 Conference openers, which includes a two-match winning streak over the previous two seasons. Utah’s last loss in a conference opener came back in 2014 to Colorado.
• Utah has three players averaging at least 1.00 blocks per set. Senior Tawnee Luafalemanaleads the team with 1.29 blocks per set, junior Berkeley Oblad follows with 1.07 blocks and freshman Dani Barton has a 1.03 blocks per set average.
• Senior Tawnee Luafalemana is coming off a match where she recorded career-highs in both kills (18) and hitting percentage (.857). Her .857 hitting percentage is the second highest single-match hitting percentage for a Ute player all-time.
FIRST SERVE
The No. 16-ranked Utah Utes (9-2, 0-0) open Pac-12 Conference play this week, hosting No. 25-ranked Colorado (10-1, 0-0) this Friday, Sept. 22, at 7 p.m. and then taking on California (9-2, 0-0) this Sunday, Sept. 22, at 2 p.m. Both matches will be played inside the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City.
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
Colorado Buffaloes
Colorado closed out non-conference action picking up three wins to improve to 10-1 on the season. The Buffaloes opened the final weekend before conference play facing Xavier and picked up the victory in four sets. On Saturday, Colorado swept Albany to open the day and then would close out the weekend with a five-set win against in-state foe and then-ranked No. 22 Colorado State. The Buffaloes’ sole loss in the preseason came from then-ranked No. 3 Penn State. Freshman Brynna DeLuzio runs the offense for Colorado dishing out 11.45 a/s, while juniors Alexa Smith and Frankie Shebby pace the team with 4.24 k/s and 3.18 k/s, respectively. Junior Gabby Carta-Samuels leads the defense with 3.34 dig/s.
California Golden Bears
California faced Saint Mary’s and Pacific to wrap up competition before Pac-12 play begins. The Golden Bears beat Saint Mary’s in four sets on Friday, but fell to Pacific on Saturday in five sets. California heads into conference play with a 9-2 record on the season. California has a balanced offense with four players averaging at least 2.36 k/s or more. Senior Antzela Dempi leads the team with 3.02 k/s, while also tacking on 24 service aces on the season. Junior Mackenzie Albrecht dishes out 6.38 a/s and freshman Isabel Potter averages 5.02 a/s for California. Defensively, senior Jessica Gaffney and freshman Mima Mirkovic lead the team with 3.92 dig/s and 3.38 dig/s, respectively.
SERIES HISTORY
Utah leads the all-time series against Colorado having won 10 of the 18 meetings between the two teams. The two teams split the season series last season with both roads squads earning victories. Utah downed CU in five sets up in Boulder, but the Buffs managed to take the win over the Utes in Salt Lake City, 3-2. The Utes are 7-5 all-time when facing the Buffs in Pac-12 play, which includes a 4-2 mark when opening the Pac-12 slate against CU. Utah is 6-2 all-time when facing the Buffs in Salt Lake City.
Utah is 9-8 all-time when facing California and that record includes a current three-match winning streak over the Golden Bears. Utah swept the season series from the Bears last season, notching three-set victories in both contests. The Utes, who are 6-5 against the Bears since joining the Pac-12 Conference, are 3-3 against Cal when playing matches in Salt Lake City.
COVERING THE UTES
Both contests this weekend will be televised live on the Pac-12 Networks with Thad Anderson calling play-by-play and Amy Gant providing color commentary. Fans can also follow the action on-line by logging onto Pac-12.com/live or watching via smart phones and tablets using the Pac-12 Now App, which can be downloaded at the Apple Store, Google Play Store or Amazon Apps Store.
Live stats will be provided for both contests this weekend, with links to these matches found at www.UtahUtes.com.
LAST TIME OUT
Utah wrapped up non-conference play going 1-1 this past week, dropping a five-set thriller to No. 14-ranked BYU (25-16, 13-25, 17-25, 25-20, 16-18), but then earning a road win over Utah Valley (19-25, 25-18, 25-16, 25-22).
The Utes opened the first set outhitting the Cougars, .405 to .250, but were stifled to hitting percentages of just .034 and .125 in the second and third sets, respectively. Utah would later go onto record more kills than BYU in the fifth set, 13-11, but the Utes tallied three service errors, while BYU tallied a service ace and zero service errors.
Utah had four players register double-digit kills in the contest, with freshman Dani Bartonleading the way and tying her career-high with 15 kills. Senior Adora Anae tallied 13 kills and notched a double-double in contest with 12 digs. Freshman Kristen Abels recorded a new career/season-high with 13 digs and sophomore Bailey Choy collected a season-high 54 assists.
Despite dropping the first set to Utah Valley on Friday, Utah came back to win the next three sets and take the match in four sets on the road. The Utes improved to 2-1 in true road matches, while finishing non-conference play with a record of 6-1 away from the Huntsman Center.
Senior Tawnee Luafalemana and freshman Shannon Scully filled in nicely into a line-up that was without Adora Anae on Friday, collecting 33 of Utah’s 71 total kills on the evening. Luafalemana notched career-highs in both kills (18) and hitting percentage (.857), while Scully added a career-high 15 kills and chipped with 13 digs for the first double-double of her career.
UP NEXT
Utah remains at home next week, closing out a span of five out of six matches played at the Huntsman Center. Utah opens a two-day affair against both Oregon schools next Friday, Sept. 29, against the No. 8-ranked Ducks (7-1, 0-0) at 6 p.m. The Utes then face the Oregon State Beavers on Saturday, Sept. 30, with a first serve set for 8 p.m.
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