OREM, Utah – Team White came from behind to top Team Green in Utah Valley University's annual Green & White volleyball scrimmage on Tuesday evening at Lockhart Arena by a score of two sets to one (23-25, 25-20, 25-17). 
 
All 16 healthy Wolverines saw playing time in the exhibition and freshman Kazna Tarawhiti led the way with 15 kills, seven digs and a pair of blocks. Fellow freshman Kaili Downs followed with 10 kills and three blocks, while preseason All-WAC selection Kristen Allred finished one kill shy of a double-double with nine kills and 12 digs. Senior Alexis Davies led the way at the net for UVU with nine blocks and junior transfer Makaila Jarema followed closely with eight. Sophomore transfer Jaysa Funk Stratton finished with a match-high 21 assists while junior Madi Wardle added 18.   
 
"It's always good to get out and compete. We are a very young team, and I think we are developing nicely in some areas but also need to keep getting better in others," 20th-year head UVU coach Sam Atoa said. "We are making a ton of mistakes, but overall we are progressing and continually trying to improve." 
 
In a tightly contested opening set, the white team was the first to get things going as it opened an 8-3 lead after a 6-1 run. Trailing 12-7, the green squad later returned the favor with a 10-1 spurt of its own to take a 17-13 advantage. The block anchored Team Green's run, as the duo of Jarema and Davies as well as Jarema and Allred teamed up for five blocks assists during the run. The white team then countered back with a 4-0 run to tie the score at 17-17. Both teams traded points from there until Team Green managed to score five of the final seven points to take the opening set by a score of 25-23. The defending WAC All-Freshman team selection Allred capped the rally for the green team with back-to-back kills. 
 
In the second set, the white team returned the favor as it went on to even the match at 1-1 with a 25-20 second set victory. The freshman Tarawhiti led the white squad in the set number two with eight of her match-high 15 kills. 
 
The white team kept the momentum going in the third set, as it went on to take the match, 2-1, with a 25-17 third-set victory. Davies and Downs each drove home a pair of kills apiece in the final set for the white squad, while freshman BriAnne Mortensen had three service aces and freshman Sadie Hamson blocked back two balls. 
 
"Overall as a team, I felt like our defense was very scrappy throughout the match. Our blocking was strong and traditionally positive things seem to happen when we are able to do that," Atoa added. "There is learning everywhere, but I'm very encouraged with who we have and what we are going to do this year."
 
The Wolverines will hit the road to officially open their 2018 campaign this weekend, Aug. 24-25, at the UC Davis Aggie Invitational in Davis, California. There, UVU will face Holy Cross and the host Aggies on Friday, Aug. 24, before capping the opening tournament against Northern Arizona of the Big Sky Conference on Saturday, Aug. 25. Utah Valley will then return home to welcome Idaho State to town for its home opener on Tuesday, Aug. 28.