OREM, Utah – Despite a late comeback attempt, Utah Valley University volleyball found itself on the wrong end of a thrilling five-set contest to Chicago State in the Western Athletic Conference opener for both teams on Thursday night at Lockhart Arena (20-25, 25-14, 25-14, 21-25, 14-16).  
 
After dropping the fourth set and trailing 12-7 in the decisive fifth game, the Wolverines (8-6, 0-1 WAC) rallied with five unanswered points to tie the set at 12-12. After a Cougar (7-9, 1-0 WAC) point, UVU then drove home a kill from Kristen Allred followed by a CSU attack error to take a 14-13 match-point advantage. The Cougars then responded, however, with back-to-back-to-back points take the set, 16-14, and earn their first win in program history over UVU. Provo native and Timpview High School graduate Lauryn Dela Cruz led CSU down the stretch by driving home two of her team-high 15 kills. 
 
"You've got to give Chicago State credit. It was really going back and forth there down the stretch, but when it really mattered they played better than we did," head UVU coach Sam Atoa said. "I thought that we did a nice job to get ourselves back in the match, but we didn't take care of the ball and win the two-point game when we needed it. Nice job by Chicago State, they deserved this win. But for sure it was disappointing for us, as I felt like we didn't take care of our chances when we had opportunities to."  
 
Despite suffering the setback, freshman Kazna Tarawhiti led the Wolverines with a season and match-high 24 kills on .263 hitting. She also added her third double-double of the year with 16 digs. Allred was next for UVU by notching a double-double of her own with 14 kills and 11 digs, while Madi Wardle too recorded a double-double with a team-high 26 assists and 10 digs. Freshman Kenzie Guimont too had a nice showing by pitching in six kills and a team-high six blocks and Seren Merrill led the way from the back row with 18 digs and a pair of aces. 
 
The Wolverines were the first to get things going in the opening set, as they jumped out to a 9-3 advantage following a 5-0 run. With UVU later holding to a 14-10 lead, CSU then reeled off seven unanswered points to take a 17-14 advantage. Utah Valley then struck back by scoring five of the next six points to take a 19-18 lead. Tarawhiti and senior Alexis Davies led the spurt for the Wolverines with a kill apiece. Following the UVU run, the Cougars – who defeated their first Big Ten opponent in program history last month with a 3-0 sweep over Rutgers – then countered right back with a 7-1 run of their own to take the opening set by a score of 25-20. 
 
UVU then looked to bounce right back in the second set by taking a quick 10-3 advantage. Tarawhiti led the early run for the Wolverines with an impressive seven kills during the 10-point stretch. Holding to a 12-5 lead, Utah Valley then managed to drive home four consecutive points to extend its lead to 16-5. The Cougars later pulled to within seven at 18-11, but UVU answered by scoring seven of the final 10 points to take the second set, 25-14, and tie the match at 1-1. As a team, the Wolverines committed just one attack error in the set en route to recording a .385 hitting percentage. 
 
With Utah Valley holding to a 9-8 advantage in the third game, the Wolverines reeled off seven unanswered points to take a 16-8 lead. Allred capped the spurt with back-to-back-to-back kills. Up 21-11, Chicago State then scored three of the next four points to make it 22-14, but back countered UVU with three consecutive points to take the third set, 25-14. Freshmen Guimont and Kaili Downs both had kills for the Wolverines in the final spurt and Allred paced the UVU attack with five third-set kills.
 
In a much tighter fourth game, Chicago State was the first to break through by taking a 13-7 advantage following five consecutive points. UVU then struck back with three straight points to make it 13-10, but CSU answered with back-to-back points to take a 15-10 lead. With the Cougars holding to a 19-12 advantage, the Wolverines then responded with a clutch 5-0 spurt to pull within two at 19-17. Guimont had a block and a kill for UVU during the stretch. CSU then answered with four straight points to make it 23-17, but again Utah Valley countered with four unanswered to make it 23-21. Chicago State again countered, however, with back-to-back points on kills from Beatriz Palmieri and Dela Cruz to take the set, 25-21, and force a decisive fifth set. 
 
Chicago State continued to hold the upper hand early in the fifth game, as it built an early 5-3 lead. UVU then tied things up at 5-5 following a Tarawhiti kill and a Davies and Guimont block assist, but back answered CSU with four straight points to take a 9-5 advantage. Utah Valley then made it 9-7, but again the Cougars countered with three straight to make it 12-7. With their backs against the wall, the Wolverines then got back-to-back kills from Allred, another from Guimont, an ace from Tarawhiti and a CSU attack error to deadlock things up at 12-12. With UVU later holding to a 14-13 match-point advantage, Dela Cruz managed to pound home two of Chicago State's final three points to help the Cougars pull off the victory. 
 
The win marked CSU's first in 23 tries against UVU, as Utah Valley still holds a commanding 22-1 all-time series advantage. 
 
The Wolverines will look to bounce back on Saturday when they will continue their current three-match homestand by welcoming fellow WAC foe UMKC to town that afternoon. First serve for the conference match is set for 1 p.m. MT at Lockhart Arena. 
 
"It's always the challenge to look to respond after dropping a tough match like this one here against Chicago State," Atoa added. "We're going to have to turn things around quickly, as this is just as much of a mental game as it is a physical game, and we lost that battle here tonight."