Press Release courtesy of Utah Athletics
Match 24: #15 Utah vs. Washington State
Thursday, Nov. 2 | 7 p.m. MT
Salt Lake City | Huntsman Center
TV: N/A
Stream: Utah Live Stream
Live Stats: SideArm Stats
Match 23: #15 Utah vs. #11 Washington
Saturday, Nov. 4 | 7 p.m. MT
Salt Lake City | Huntsman Center
TV: N/A
Stream: Utah Live Stream
Live Stats: SideArm Stats
FIVE THINGS TO KNOW
• Utah returns home this week for a pair of matches to be played inside the Huntsman Center where the Utes are 7-3 overall and 4-2 in Pac-12 Conference play.
- Utah is averaging 1,917 fans per game in attendance through 10 matches so far this season. Four of Utah’s matches rank among the top-10 crowds to see a volleyball match inside the Huntsman Center, which includes the top two attendance figures all-time (1. vs. BYU, 4,637; 2. vs. UCLA, 3,179).
- Despite dropping a pair of matches last weekend, the Utes remained inside the AVCA’s top-20 teams, coming in at No. 15 this week. This marks the 20th consecutive week that the Utes have been ranked inside the top 25, which ranks as the second-longest streak for the program.
- Freshman Camryn Machado registered her second double-double of the season this past weekend, recording 14 assists and a season-high 18 digs at Oregon State.
- Utah sophomore Brianna Doehrmann tallied 20 digs in Utah’s match at Oregon last week. She has tallied double-digit dig efforts in 10 consecutive matches and 13 overall for the season. She now leads the team with 252 digs on the year.
FIRST SERVE
The No. 15-ranked Utah Utes (17-6, 8-4) returns home this week and will look to snap a current three-match losing streak, hosting both Washington schools. The Utes will face Washington State (14-10, 3-9)this Thursday at 7 p.m. MT and will close out the week against Washington (18-5, 8-4) on Saturday, with a first serve set for 7 p.m. MT
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
Washington State Cougars
Washington State opened the second half of conference play going 1-1 on the weekend. The Cougars picked up a big home win against then-ranked No. 13 UCLA, downing the Bruins in five sets. Washington State then fell in straight sets to then-ranked No. 19 USC.
Taylor Mims leads the Cougar offense with a 3.80 kills-per-set average, while Alexis Dirige ranks third in the Pac-12 with a 4.56 digs-per-set average. Ashley Brown and Penny Tusa run the offense, handing out 4.93 assists-per-set and 4.55 a/s, respectively. Washington State also is second in the conference with a 3.05 blocks-per-set average, and is led by Jocelyn Urias, who ranks second in the Pac-12 with 1.48 blk/s.
Utah picked up the win on the road over Washington State in the first meeting back on Oct. 8. The Utes handed the Cougars a four-set loss (25-21, 25-19, 21-25, 25-21) at Bohler Gym.
Washington Huskies
Washington picked up a pair of home wins this past weekend over then-ranked No.13 UCLA and No. 19 USC. The Huskies beat USC in five sets on Friday and then closed out the weekend with a sweep over UCLA.
Carly DeHoog and Courtney Schwan lead the Huskies offensively, notching 3.01 k/s and 2.59 k/s, respectively. Bailey Tanner registers a 9.56 assists-per-set average, while this week’s Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week, Tia Scrambray, notches 3.73 digs per set. Washington ranks first in the conference in blocking, totaling 3.19 blk/s. Lauren Sanders leads the Pac-12 and the Huskies with her 1.56 blocks-per-set average.
In the first meeting between the teams, the Utes beat the Huskies for the first time ever in Seattle back on Oct. 6. Utah downed Washington in five sets (27-25, 26-24, 21-25,23-25, 16-14) at Alaska Airlines Arena, which also snapped a three-game losing streak to Washington.
SERIES HISTORY
Washington State leads the all-time series 13-10, but the Utes have won three straight and four of the past five matches between the two teams. Utah, who swept the season series last year, earned a four-set road victory over the Cougars earlier this season. The Utes will look to sweep the season series once again, while picking up its seventh straight win over the Cougars in Salt Lake City. The last time a WSU team defeated Utah in Salt Lake City came back on Sept. 7, 1991. Utah is now 8-4 all-time against WSU since becoming a member of the Pac-12.
In a series that dates back to 1978, Washington had won three straight and 15 of the 21 total matches played prior to Utah’s five-set road victory over the Huskies earlier this season. It marked Utah’s first-ever win over UW in Seattle and it snapped a three-match losing streak to the Huskies. The Utes and Huskies have played just three matches where the game went into a fifth set. Utah is now 2-1 all-time in five-set matches with the Huskies. UW does lead the all-time series, 10-2, since Utah became a member of the Pac-12. The other victory was a five-set win over a UW team that was ranked No. 2 in the nation, back in 2014.
COVERING THE UTES
Both contests this week will be live-streamed, with links to the webstream at www.UtahUtes.com orPac-12.com/live. Mike Lageshulte will call the action, with Lexie Petrovic providing in-game analysis and Facebook Live interviews.
Live stats will be provided for both contests this weekend, with links to these matches found atwww.UtahUtes.com.
LAST TIME OUT
Utah’s six-match road winning streak came to an end last week as the Utes fell to both Oregon (18-25, 25-21, 23-25, 22-25) and Oregon State (25-16, 16-25, 20-25, 20-25). The Ducks’ victory secured the season sweep over the Utes, while Utah’s loss to the Beavers split the season series between the two teams.
Junior Berkeley Oblad led the Utes in kills for the first time this season, notching 13 kills in the loss to Oregon. Senior Adora Anae posted 12 kills and 14 digs, while senior Tawnee Luafalemana and freshman Kenzie Koerber both tallied 10 kills each. Sophomore Brianna Doehrmann tallied a match-high 20 digs.
Utah took the first set against Oregon State, hitting .282 and limiting the Beavers to a hitting percentage of just .081 in the first frame, but the Beavers came back from the deficit to take the match in four sets. Anae led the team with 13 kills and Oblad added 10 kills on the evening, but OSU managed to record more kills overall, registering a total of 59 kills to Utah’s total of 47 kills. Freshman Camryn Machado notched her second double-double of the season with 14 assists and a season-high 18 digs.
UP NEXT
The Utes hit the road again next week, taking on both Los Angeles-based squads. Utah is set to face the USC Trojans next Thursday, Nov. 9, and will turn right around to face the UCLA Bruins on Friday, Nov. 10. Utah’s match against UCLA will be live-streamed, while its contest with the Trojans will be televised on the Pac-12 Networks.
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