Sept. 11, 2009
OREM, Utah - Utah Valley University came up short Friday in its bid to upset another nationally ranked team in the first match of the Wolverine Invitational with a 22-25, 24-26, 25-19, 19-25 loss to No. 15 USC.
One week ago, in the first round of the La Quinta Inn & Suites Invitational, the Wolverines upset No. 17 Utah, 3-1.
The Wolverines (4-3) took USC (8-1) down to the wire in the first two sets. UVU led by as many as four points midway through the first set before USC rallied to tie the score at 19-19, 21-21 and 22-22. The Trojans scored the next three points on two kills by Alex Jupiter and an error by UVU to win the opening set.
UVU fought point-for-point with USC in the second set and had the match tied at 24-24, but back-to-back kills by Jupiter, who had 17 kills in the match, and Zoe Garrett closed out the set.
"We are playing against a very good team and what is great is we are giving ourselves chances and opportunities and we're competing," Utah Valley University volleyball coach Sam Atoa said. "I am encouraged by the level of play we are playing at right now. We fell short in those two sets against a very good team."
The Wolverines snapped USC's streak of 23 consecutive set wins by taking the third set, 25-19.
Allyce Jones had a pair of service aces to give the Wolverines a 4-1 and they never looked back. UVU led by as many as six points at 15-9 on back-to-back kills by Dani Robison. USC would never get any closer than three points the rest of the set.
Robison had four kills in the set as did Kayli Broadbent.
USC jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the final set and UVU was never able to recover. The Trojans' lead increased to as many seven in the set.
For the match, Camie Manwill recorded her fourth double-double of the season with 17 digs and 14 kills and Broadbent finished with 15 kills and four services aces. Jones tallied 20 digs in the match, while Chelsea Fa'alogo recorded 38 assists.
Also, Faith Tusieseina finished with six kills in the match, while Robison and Sarah Clement had five each.
The Wolverines are back in action today when they host USC again at 1 p.m. and then they close out the invitational with Idaho State, which lost to USC 3-0, at 7 p.m.
