Utah Valley (5-8) vs. No. 16 Utah (8-1)
Friday, Sept. 15  |  5 p.m. MT
Lockhart Arena   |  Orem, Utah
WAC Digital Network  |  Live Stats  |  UVU Notes  |  Utah Notes

Utah Valley (5-8) vs. No. 14 BYU (8-1)
Saturday, Sept. 16  |  7 p.m. MT
Lockhart Arena   |  Orem, Utah
TV: UVU TV
WAC Digital Network  |  Live Stats  |  UVU Notes  |  BYU Notes
 

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WOLVERINES SET TO HOST #16 UTAH FRIDAY, #14 BYU SATURDAY
OREM, Utah – The Utah Valley University volleyball team will continue its in-state rivalry week with a pair of home matches this weekend when it hosts No. 16 Utah on Friday and No. 14 BYU on Saturday. Friday's contest against the Pac-12 Utes will begin at 5 p.m. and will mark a precursor to that evening's Utah Valley men's soccer Homecoming Match, while Saturday's matchup against the Brigham Young Cougars will start at 7 p.m.
 
Both matches will be contested in UVU's newly renovated Lockhart Arena and will be streamed live on the WAC Digital Network. Saturday's match against BYU will also be televised locally on UVU TV and will be a part of the UCCU Crosstown Clash.
 
"It doesn't get any easier for us this weekend. There's a lot of areas of the game that we need to improve on for us to be able to be competitive against these two very good programs," said head coach Sam Atoa. "They are both very well coached and have been very successful, but we are excited for the opportunity to host these programs on back-to-back nights and are looking forward to the challenge."
 
UVU will enter the weekend with a 5-8 record after dropping a 3-1 in-state contest to Weber State on Wednesday in Ogden. With the Wildcats holding to a 2-0 advantage in the match, UVU responded to win the third set and looked to have an opportunity to win a tightly contested fourth game before a controversial timely net violation was called on match-point to give the contest to Weber State. 
 
Despite dropping the in-state contest to WSU, three Wolverines topped double figures in kills in the contest led by senior Lexi Thompson's match-high 20. Fellow senior Madison Dennison was next by tying a career-high with 17, while freshman Kristen Allred added 11. Senior setter Sierra Starley too had a big night for UVU by dishing out a career-high 61 assists. Starley also added nine digs, five blocks and a pair of service aces, while Dennison and Thompson posted solid respective .394 and .357 attack percentages.
 
UVU will enter this weekend's rivalry matches with a 2-1 clip versus in-state opponents on the season. Utah Valley first defeated both Southern Utah (3-0) and Utah State (3-1) in midweek contests on the road, before dropping Wednesday's meeting against Weber State in Ogden.
 
Thompson leads the Wolverines on the season offensively with a 3.25 kills per set average, while Dennison fronts UVU and the WAC at the net with a 1.44 blocks per set clip. Dennison's blocking tallies are also good enough to rank her third in the nation in total blocks (69) and 27th in blocks per set average.  
ABOUT UTAH
The Utes will enter the weekend with an 8-1 overall record and ranked 16th in the latest AVCA Top-25 Poll. Utah will first host BYU on Thursday before coming to Orem on Friday. With the 8-1 record, Utah's lone loss came to then 14th-ranked Kentucky on Aug. 25 in Lexington. The Utes have since won their last seven contests, with victories over No. 15 San Diego, Hawaii, Missouri, Arkansas State, South Dakota, Western Carolina and Green Bay. Utah was picked to finish fourth in the Pac-12 this season after going 20-12 overall and 11-9 in conference play last year en route to earning a 2016 NCAA Tournament berth.
 
Preseason All-Pac-12 selection and 2016 All-American Adora Anae leads the Utes offensively with a 4.52 kills per set average and a .320 hitting percentage, while Tawnee Luafalemana paces the team at the net with a 1.38 blocks per set clip.
 
SERIES HISTORY VS. UTAH
Friday's matchup will mark the 12th all-time meeting between the Wolverines and Utes. Utah will enter play holding to a 10-1 series advantage and having won the past four meetings. UVU's lone win over Utah came on Sept. 4, 2009 in Orem when the Utes were ranked 17th nationally.
 
ABOUT BYU
The Cougars too will enter the weekend with an 8-1 record and ranked 14th nationally on the latest AVCA Top-25 Poll. BYU's lone loss of the season came to Baylor in five sets in its last contest on Sept. 9 in Hawaii. Brigham Young holds its wins on the year over No. 21 Ohio State, Hawaii, Missouri, Saint Louis, UT Rio Grande Valley, Boise State, Sacramento State and Nevada. The Cougars were once again picked to win the West Coast Conference after going 29-4 overall and 16-2 in conference play a year ago. BYU has made the NCAA Tournament in each of the past five seasons.
 
Roni Jones-Perry leads the Cougars offensively on the season with a 4.15 kills per set average and Preseason All-WCC performer McKenna Miller is next with a 3.45 clip. Cosy Burnett paces the team at the net with a 1.58 blocks per set average.
 
SERIES HISTORY VS. BYU
Saturday's contest will mark the 13th all-time meeting between UVU and BYU on the volleyball court. The Wolverines will be in search of their first win, as the Cougars hold an unblemished 12-0 series record, which includes a 5-0 mark in Orem.
 
UP NEXT FOR UVU
Following the in-state rivalry weekend, Utah Valley will hit the road next weekend to open Western Athletic Conference play at Seattle U. The Wolverines and Redhawks will do battle on Saturday at 4 p.m. MT/3 p.m. PT at SU's Connolly Center in Seattle.