Sept. 5, 2011
OREM, Utah - Lindsay Barker, Chelsey Heaps, and Sarah Clement each registered double digits in kills as Utah Valley stormed back from two sets down to steal a win against Big East foe Syracuse (20-25, 21-25, 25-19, 25-18, 15-13).
"It was a great win," said Wolverine head coach Sam Atoa. "We got off to a slow start for whatever reason, but it's not always how you start it's how you finish. We started serving the ball very well and that got us going."
After Syracuse (5-2) jumped out a commanding 2-0 set lead, UVU (5-2) took over the match after a dominant third set. Behind three kills from Barker, a kill from Heaps and a block from Erica Nish, UVU raced out to an 11-3 lead, forcing a timeout from the Syracuse bench. The break didn't slow the UVU attack, though, as it ripped off seven of the next ten points to build the lead to 18-6. The Orange battled back to keep the score respectable, but the outcome was never in doubt as UVU took the third set 25-19.
Despite falling behind 9-7 in the fourth set, UVU pieced together another extensive run. Powered by two kills from Barker, two more from Heaps, and two combined block assists from Jaicee Kuresa and Nish, the Wolverines raced out to an 18-11 advantage. UVU never looked back from there, taking the set 25-18. Barker, Heaps, and Clement posted three kills apiece in the frame.
A dramatic, back-and-forth fifth set featured four ties and four lead changes. Syracuse had the early advantage with a 6-3 lead, but UVU responded with a 5-2 run to move ahead 10-8. The Wolverines seemed to be losing control of the set when the Orange rallied to a 12-10 lead, but two kills from Heaps combined with three Syracuse errors gave UVU the set and the match.
"Syracuse came prepared," noted Atoa. "But we had a complete turnaround from the third set on. Our enthusiasm and our energy really picked up and I'm real proud of them for being able to dig deep and find a way to win."
A true team effort, three Wolverines put up double-doubles in the match. Barker posted her first career double-double by adding 10 digs to her team-high 14 kills, while Heaps finished with 12 kills and 16 digs to notch her fourth of the season. Also, Brookelyn Campbell's 41 assists and 10 digs give her three double-doubles on the season. Other noteworthy performers include Clement, who recorded 12 kills, and Nish, who had a match-high nine blocks.
UVU has won its last three matches, the longest streak of the young season. The Wolverines will look to extend their win streak when they host BYU-Hawai'i Tuesday night in the Activity Center. From there, UVU takes its first road trip of the 2011 season when it travels to Colorado Springs for the Air Force Invitational on Sept. 9.
