OREM, Utah – Utah Valley University senior Lauren Bakker put up 18 kills and four blocks while junior Kiahna Steiner added a career-high 17 kills and six blocks en route to leading the Wolverines to a 3-1 victory over CSU Bakersfield in Western Athletic Conference action at the PE Building on Thursday night (25-22, 26-24, 21-25, 25-21).
 
As a team, the Wolverines (6-9, 2-1 WAC) posted their second highest team block tally of the season with 13.0 and their third best hitting percentage with a .328 clip.
 
"The girls did a nice job overall. You can't be disappointed with 13 blocks, as well coming through with one of our better hitting performances of the season offensively," head coach Sam Atoa said. "Bakersfield is well coached and comes in and battles us hard every year. I felt like our girls managed to stay composed, however, and do what they needed to do to get the win."    
 
CSUB (3-11, 1-1 WAC), who won the WAC Tournament title last year, took the upper hand in the early stages of the opening set as it jumped out to a quick 10-5 advantage. UVU later managed to erase the deficit thanks to a 7-2 run midway through the frame to tie the score at 17-all. The Wolverines then put the first set away, at 25-22, following a pair of crucial Roadrunner errors.
 
In a tightly contested second set that featured 14 ties and eight lead changes, no team led by more than three points throughout the frame. With the set seesawing back-and-forth down the stretch and tied at 24-24, freshman Sabrina Tanner drilled home a pair of consecutive clutch service aces to help propel the Wolverines to a 26-24 set-two victory.
 
UVU once again got things going early in the third set as it jumped out to an 11-8 advantage following a block assist from Bakker and Steiner. The 'Runners answered right back, however, with a run of their own to tie the frame up at 13-13. With the set later still deadlocked at 21-all, Bakersfield managed to reel off four unanswered points to take the frame by a score of 25-21.
 
The Wolverines were once again the first to take an early advantage in the fourth frame as they took another 11-8 lead following a kill from sophomore Madison Dennison. CSUB countered back by scoring four of next five points to tie the score at 12-12, but UVU later pieced together a 5-1 run of its own to pull ahead for good at 22-17. Bakker helped the Wolverines put the contest away with the final kill of the night on match point.
 
Besides finishing one-two in kills for UVU in the contest with 18 and 17, respectively, Bakker recorded a match-high .483 attack percentage while Steiner put up a .333 clip. Sophomore Sierra Starley too played well for the Wolverines as she finished with a double-double of 47 assists and 10 digs, while Dennison also had a solid night with eight kills and seven blocks.
 
Kelsee Sawyer paced the 'Runners in the setback with a match-high 23 kills.   
 
The Wolverines will continue their three-match WAC homestand against Grand Canyon on Saturday afternoon in the PE Building. The conference matinee is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. MT.
 
"We're going to enjoy this win tonight, but then we'll get right back at it to prepare for Grand Canyon tomorrow," Atoa added. "We can't take anyone for granted in this conference, so we'll be ready to protect our home court on Saturday."