Oct. 2, 2009
OREM, Utah - The Utah Valley University volleyball team remained in first place in the Great West Conference with a 25-20, 25-17, 25-21 victory over South Dakota Friday night.
The Wolverines (10-5, 3-0) and NJIT (11-5, 2-0) are the only teams in the league without a conference loss.
In Utah Valley's fifth consecutive win, Kayli Broadbent recorded 18 kills after having just seven in a win over North Dakota Thursday night, while Camie Manwill added 10 kills and nine digs and Dani Robison tallied a personal season-high six kills.
"Overall, I thought the girls were a lot more composed, maybe (Thursday) we had been away from competition for a while (eight days). We did some really good things and I was happy with the way we executed," UVU volleyball coach Sam Atoa said.
"I think offensively and defensively we presented too much of a challenge for South Dakota," he said.
UVU never trailed in the first set, but the set was tied 10 times with the latest tie coming at 17-17. Kills by Manwill and Broadbent and an attack error by USD led to a 20-17 UVU advantage. The Coyotes then pulled to within a point. Following a kill by Broadbent, UVU's Kathleen Stevens recorded back-to-back service aces to put the set out of reach.
The Wolverines eventually won the set on a kill by Broadbent and a block by Robison and Chelsea Fa'alogo.
Broadbent had six kills in the opening set.
Utah Valley trailed by three points early in the second set, but the Wolverines battled back and tied the score at 9-9 and took the lead for good at 11-9 on an ace by Lanni O'Reilly and a kill by Manwill.
UVU ballooned the lead a set-high eight points on kills by Manwill and an attack error by USD.
Broadbent and Manwill had four kills each in the set in which USD hit at just .071.
Utah Valley jumped out to a 10-5 lead in the third, but the set was still in question when USD (4-12, 1-2) tied the set at 20-20. With Stevens serving, Jaicee Kuresa and Broadbent recorded back-to-back kills, an error by USD and a kill by Robison increased the UVU ead to 24-20. After a USD point, Broadbent closed out the set and match with a kill.
Allyce Jones finished with 13 digs and Fa'alogo recorded 37 assists.
The Wolverines take a break from Great West Conference action Monday night when they host Boise State at 7 p.m. at the Shurian Family Activity Center. The match can be seen live on UVU-TV.
UVU returns to GWC play Oct. 8 and Oct. 10 when the Wolverines travel to Chicago State and NJIT, respectively.
