Nov. 12, 2009

OREM, Utah - The Utah Valley University volleyball team sent seniors Camie Manwill, Allyce Jones and Marla Morin out as winners with a 25-14, 25-21, 19-25, 25-9 Great West Conference victory over NJIT Thursday night to close out UVU's home slate.

In the final home match of her career, Manwill recorded a double-double with 17 kills and 13 digs and junior Kayli Broadbent added a double-double with 16 kills and 10 digs to lead the Wolverines to their third consecutive victory. Both Manwill and Boradbent had two service aces as well.

"It's fun to do well and win on senior night," UVU volleyball coach Sam Atoa said. "It's an emotional night and it's good to be able to close out at home on a good note."

Also in their final home matches of their careers, Jones recorded 16 digs and Morin had two kills and a block assist.

"Each (senior) has played a different role and each of them has been very significant in what we are trying to accomplish this year," Atoa said. "I'm real proud of them for the sacrifice and the effort they have put in in making this season to what it has been."

Barring an upset of South Dakota over first-place North Dakota this weekend, the Wolverines (20-9, 10-2) will be the No. 2 seed in the Great West Conference tournament that begins next week in Houston, Texas.

With the first set tied 7-7, the Wolverines went on an 11-4 run thanks to three kills by Jaicee Kuresa, who had nine in the match, and two each from Sarah Clement and and Manwill. UVU took its largest lead of the set at 24-13 on a kill by Manwill and a service ace by Broadbent.

Manwill finished with five kills in the set and Broadbent had four for the Wolverines, who hit at .484 in the set.

Broadbent served five straight points to give UVU a 9-3 advantage in the second set. NJIT whittled the lead to one at 14-13. The UVU's lead hovered at three until a kill by Manwill increased the to 21-17.

An NJIT service aced trimmed the lead to two at 22-20, but Broadbent, Manwill and Dani Robison recorded kills down the stretch for the 25-21 UVU set victory. Manwill and Broadbent had four kills each in the set and Robison had three.

UVU led only one time in the third set at 9-8 on a service ace by Manwill. There after the match was tied three times before the Highlanders pulled away. They led by as many as six at 20-14 before closing out the set 25-19.

Manwill and Broadbent had four kills each in the set.

The Wolverines trailed 1-0 early in the fourth and final set, but a kill by Broadbent and an error by NJIT gave the Wolverines the lead for good a 2-1. At one point in the set Chelsea Fa'alogo served eight straight points and UVU led 20-5.

Manwill and Broadbent closed out the match with kills.

UVU's Kathleen Stevens recorded 11 digs and a service ace, while Fa'alogo had 41 assists, eight digs and six kills. Robison tallied four kills, four block assists and a service ace.