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BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – Despite big nights from junior Lauren Bakker and sophomore Macky Treanor, the fourth-seeded Utah Valley University volleyball team dropped a marathon five-set match to No. 5 Seattle U in the quarterfinals of the WAC Tournament on Thursday night at the Icardo Center in Bakersfield, California (25-22, 23-25, 16-25, 25-15, 17-19).
 
With the defeat, the Wolverines finish their season at 14-18 overall and are eliminated from the conference tournament.
 
"We were in a great position there at the end, and we just didn't take care of it. It's absolutely a heartbreaker," said head coach Sam Atoa. "We had it in hand, but we just weren't able to end it."
 
Trailing two sets to one, the Wolverines looked to bounce back in the fourth set as they scored the first three points of the frame to take a 3-0 lead. SU (13-15) quickly evened it up but UVU later took control of the set thanks to a 7-0 run to take a 17-10 advantage. Utah Valley cruised from there as it went on to win the set by a score of 25-15. The Wolverines controlled the net in the fourth frame as they recorded seven blocks.
 
In the fifth and decisive set, Seattle U converted on three straight attempts to take a 7-5 advantage. UVU answered right back with two points of its own to tie it at 7-all. The Wolverines later took an 11-9 advantage thanks to a Redhawk error and a Treanor kill. Following another kill from Treanor, an ace from senior Jen Hardman and a kill from sophomore Kiahna Steiner, UVU took a 14-10 match-point advantage. SU countered back with five straight points however, to take a 15-14 lead of its own. The set seesawed back and forth from there until Seattle U managed to complete the comeback at 19-17.  
 
Treanor, who was named second team all-conference on Wednesday, led the Wolverines with 17 kills while first team all-league selection Bakker added 14 kills of her own and nine block assists. Senior McKenna Tait too had a strong outing as she put up a match-high 14 digs. Tait, who was also tabbed second team all-conference this season, became the program's all-time leader in career sets played in what will go down as her final match played in a Wolverine uniform.
 
The record marks Tait's fifth career program record, as she passed Brookelyn Hall's (2010-13) previous mark of sets played in the contest. Tait will go down as UVU all-time leader in sets played (456), digs (1,747), service aces (192), service aces per set average (0.42) and service attempts (1,947). She also ends her career just one match played shy of becoming Utah Valley's leader in the category as well.
 
"It's going to be tough to see McKenna, as well as all of our seniors, go. They all contribute so much in their certain ways," added Atoa. "I wish tonight's match would have ended a different way for McKenna and all of the seniors."
 
With the opening set all squared up at 9-9, UVU got things going with a 6-1 run to take a 15-10 lead. SU cut the deficit to two at 16-14, but the Wolverines countered with four unanswered points to take a 20-14 advantage. The Redhawks went on a late run to make things interesting as they pulled to within two, at 24-22, but UVU put the set away the very next point thanks to a Seattle U service error.
 
SU took the upper hand early in the second set as it took a quick two-point lead. UVU later used a 4-0 spurt to take a 12-10 advantage of its own. The Wolverines quickly stretched their lead to four but Seattle U answered right back to tie the score at 16-16. The set went back and forth from there until the Redhawks managed to go on a 5-1 run to take a 24-21 advantage. Bakker and Treanor struck back for UVU with consecutive kills but SU put the set away at 25-23 via a clutch kill from Martina Samadan.  
 
The momentum then stayed with the Redhawks after the intermission break as they built a six-point advantage midway through the third set at 17-11. UVU tried to stage a comeback in the frame but couldn't muster one, as it dropped the set by nine points.
 
The loss marked the second straight season that SU has managed to eliminate UVU from the conference tournament.
 
All-freshmen team selection Madison Wolford too had a nice match for the Wolverines as she recorded seven kills and three blocks. Steiner too added seven kills along with six kills.
 
Samadan paced the Redhawks with 19 kills and seven blocks.
 
With the win, Seattle U will advance on to play the top-seeded Missouri-Kansas City Kangaroos in Friday's semifinal contest at 8:30 p.m. MT/7:30 p.m. PT. The winner of that contest will then advance to Saturday's championship match to take on either No. 2 New Mexico State or No. 3 Bakersfield. 

After the tournament concluded on Saturday, Bakker was the lone Wolverine to be named to the all-tournament team after putting up 14 kills, nine blocks and a .429. attack percentage in the tounrament. 

2014 WAC VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT
All-Tournament Team
 
Lauren Bakker, Utah Valley
Matea Mamic, Seattle U
Luiza Martins, Bakersfield
Martina Samadan, Seattle U
Kelsee Sawyer, Bakersfield
MVP: Molly O'Hagan, Bakersfield