Oct. 1, 2009

OREM, Utah - Utah Valley University won its fourth match in a row and improved to 2-0 in Great West Conference play Thursday night with a 25-17, 22-25, 25-21, 26-24 victory over North Dakota, which also entered the match unbeaten in league play.

For the second time this year, the Wolverines (9-5, 2-0) have won four consecutive matches, and they will look to make it five straight when they host South Dakota tonight at 7 p.m. at the Shurian Family Activity Center.

"We're still in the driver's seat and we expect to be in the driver's seat, and we expect people to come gunning for us," UVU volleyball coach Sam Atoa said of moving to 2-0 in league play. "They voted us No. 1 in the conference preseason and the bad thing about that is you have a target on your back. You have to come in and play hard. We're capable of being able to do that."

Camie Manwill led the Wolverines with 19 kills, nine digs and a career-high four service aces, and Sarah Clement had eight kills and five blocks and Allyce Jones tallied a season-high 26 digs.

Manwill paced the Wolverines with six kills and four service aces in the first set. UVU led 14-11 before Manwill served five straight points, including four aces in a row, as the Wolverines increased their lead to 18-11.

In addition to Manwill's six kills, Kayli Broadbent and Jaicee Kuresa had three each, while Dani Robison and Clement had two each.

The Fighting Sioux (10-6, 2-1) evened the match at 1-1 after trailing by as many as four points early in the set. UND eventually led at 20-17 before UVU tied it at 20-20, but the Fighting Sioux scored five of the next seven points to take the set.

Manwill had four kills in the set and Broadbent, Kuresa and Chelsey Garfield had two each. After hitting at .345 in the first set, the Wolverines hit at just .071 in the second set.

Jones recorded 12 digs alone in the second set.

UVU's Kathleen Stevens served the Wolverines to the early 5-1 lead in the third set with four straight points. Later, Lanni O'Reilly served four straight and the Wolverines had their largest lead of the set at 16-10.

The Fighting Sioux rallied to tie the set at 19-19. Garfield then served three straight points to take control of the set. Clement and Manwill had kills for two of the final three points to take the set.

Garfield tallied five kills and two service aces in the set.

The Wolverines led by as many as four in the final set at 18-14, but the Fighting Sioux, facing set and match point at 24-22, fought back and tied the set at 24-24. A UND attack error and a kill by Manwill earned UVU the victory.

With the win, Atoa picked up his 100th career victory since UVU became a four-year program.

For the match, Broadbent finished with seven kills, as did Garfield. Chelsea Fa'alogo tallied 43 assists, her third-highest total this year.