OREM, Utah – Despite holding a 2-0 lead in the match, Utah Valley University dropped the next three tightly contested sets to fall to conference foe UMKC in WAC volleyball action on Saturday afternoon at Lockhart Arena (25-17, 25-16, 23-25, 24-26, 13-15). 
 
The Wolverines drop to 8-7 on the season and 0-2 in league play with the setback, while the Kangaroos improve to 11-5 overall and 2-0 in WAC play with the victory.
 
"UMKC played better in the final three sets and we just didn't execute as well as we did at the first of the match," head UVU coach Sam Atoa said. "It kind of seems like there is a theme here and we need to find a way to correct it. To lose the final three sets all by two points is heartbreaking. I'm disappointed for the girls because they worked so hard to win those final three sets. But when it came down to those last two points, we need to be better."
 
Despite suffering the loss, Makaila Jarema finished just one block shy of a UVU single-match school record with 12 blocks. She also notched her first double-double of the season with 10 kills, as she tallied season highs in both kills and blocks. Alexis Davies also had a strong outing at the net for the Wolverines by recording double digits in blocks with a career-high 10. The senior also added eight kills and a .400 hitting percentage. A total of three players tallied double figures in kills for the Wolverines led by Kazna Tarawhiti's team-high 20 and Kristen Allred's 14.
 
"Our blocking is something that we've struggled at and an item that we've addressed and worked on at practice. So it was nice to see that were able to play better at the net," Atoa added. "I felt like our blocking was really going to come through for us, but UMKC's offense was just a little bit quicker there at the end and we weren't able to get that one last block when we needed it." 
 
The Wolverines got off to a strong start in the opening set, as they jumped out to a quick 6-0 advantage. Madi Wardle led the early spurt with a pair of aces. UMKC later pulled to with two at 9-7, but back answered UVU with five straight points to take a 14-7 lead. Holding to a 16-12 advantage, Utah Valley then again pounded home five straight points to take a late 21-12 lead. The Wolverines would go on to hold their lead from there en route to earning a 25-17 first-set victory. 
 
UVU again held the upper hand in the early stages of the second set by building an 11-5 lead that was capped on a triple block from Jarema, Tarawhiti and Davies. The Roos then responded by scoring four of the next five points to make it 12-9, but Utah Valley answered with a pair of kills from Tarawhiti and an ace from Jaysa Funk Stratton to make it 15-9. Up 19-14, UVU then drove home six of the next eight points to take the second set, 25-16, and a 2-0 lead in the match. Tarawhiti led the Wolverines in the set with seven kills on nine swings for a stellar .778 attack percentage. As a team, Utah Valley hit an impressive .615 in the second set after committing just one attack error in the game. 
 
In a much tighter third set that featured 18 total ties and six lead changes, UVU took a 10-8 advantage following a Jarema kill but back responded UMKC with four of the next five points to take a 12-11 advantage. Both sides traded points from there until Utah Valley managed to take a late 23-22 lead following a Roo attack error and an Allred kill. The Kangaroos then responded, however, with a trio of consecutive points to put the set away at 25-23 and make it a 2-1 match. Alicia Harrington led the stretch for the Roos with a final kill to force a fourth game. 
 
Despite a controversial call and a UMKC red card that resulted in an early UVU point, Kansas City continued to hold the upper hand in the fourth set by jumping out to a 10-6 advantage. The Wolverines countered right back, however, with three unanswered points that included a pair of kills from Allred to make it 10-9, but back responded UMKC with a 5-1 spurt to take a 15-10 advantage. The Wolverines then struck back with seven of the next nine points to deadlock the score at 17-17. Tarawhiti, Allred and Jasmine Niutupuivaha all recorded kills for UVU during the spurt. The Wolverines later took a 24-23 match-point advantage following a Tarawhiti kill, but back responded Kansas City with a trio of clutch points to take the set, 26-24, and force a decisive fifth game. 
 
In the fifth set, the Roos managed to take an 8-5 advantage following a 3-1 run. Trailing 10-7, UVU then reeled off four unanswered points of its own – thanks to kills from Jarema, Allred and Wardle – to take an 11-10 advantage. After a Tarawhiti kill later gave the Wolverines a 12-11 lead, UMKC then countered back with a trio of clutch points to take a 14-12 match-point advantage. Utah Valley then got a point back on a Niutupuivaha kill, but the Roos managed to pull the five-set conference battle out on a Wolverine service error. 
 
Despite dropping the match, the Wolverines managed to outblock (15.0 to 8.0) and outhit (.285 to .230) UMKC on the afternoon. The contest marked UVU's seventh five-set match of the season. 
 
Harrington paced the Roos with 20 kills and 12 digs, while Melanie Brecka followed with 18 kills and a .429 hitting percentage. 
 
The Wolverines will look to bounce back when they conclude their current three-match homestand next week by welcoming new conference NCAA Division I and WAC foe California Baptist to town on Thursday, Sept. 27. The contest will be contested for an 11 a.m. MT start at Lockhart Arena, as it is an elementary school game. Following Thursday's match, UVU will hit the road for a Saturday (Sept. 29) matinee at CSU Bakersfield.