BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – Utah Valley University got a season-high 26 kills from Kazna Tarawhiti and a school record 14 blocks from Makaila Jarema but it wasn't enough, as the Wolverines dropped another tightly contested five-set WAC match at CSU Bakersfield on Saturday afternoon at the Icardo Center (23-25, 23-25, 26-24, 25-21, 14-16).
 
The Wolverines, who have now played eight five-set contests over their last nine matches, drop to 8-9 overall and 0-4 in WAC play with the setback, while the Roadrunners have now won seven straight matches and remain in first place in the league standings with the victory (10-6, 3-0 WAC). 
 
"It was another heartbreaker. One of these days we're going to be able to get ourselves through this stretch," head UVU coach Sam Atoa said. "We're battling. I was really proud of how the girls managed to battle back, especially after trailing two sets to none. We again gave ourselves a chance, and I couldn't be more proud for them and the way that they were able to play hard. There's a lot of great things that happened in this match and I feel like we're going to continue to grow from these experiences."
 
Bakersfield continued to hold the upper hand early in the third game after taking the opening two sets, as it jumped out to an 11-7 third-set advantage. Play at the net then sparked a UVU run, however, as the Wolverines got four block assists from Jarema and four different teammates over the next seven points to give Utah Valley a 13-12 lead. All knotted up at 17-17, UVU then reeled off six straight points to take a 23-17 lead. Jarema again led the spurt with a pair of blocks and a kill. The 'Runners responded with seven of the next eight points to deadlock the score at 24-all. Utah Valley managed to respond this time, however, with a point on a CSUB attack error followed by another block assist from Jarema and Alexis Davies to take the set 26-24 and force a fourth game. The block was key for UVU in the set, as it combined for 9.5 total team blocks led by an impressive nine third-set block assists from Jarema.
 
The momentum then continued to stay with UVU early in the fourth set, as it jumped out to an early 7-2 advantage. The Wolverines later pushed their lead to six at 11-5 following back-to-back miscues from CSUB. Holding to a 16-11 lead following a kill from Kaili Downs, Bakersfield then got a trio of consecutive points to pull with two at 16-14. At 18-16, Utah Valley then responded to drive home three of the next four points to take a 21-17 lead. Allred, Jarema and Tarawhiti all pounded home kills for the Wolverines during the spurt. UVU later took a 24-19 set-point advantage following an ace from Seren Merrill, and after back-to-back attack errors the Wolverines managed to put the set away, 25-21, to force their a decisive fifth-game. 
 
The Wolverines continued to hold the upper hand in fifth set, as they built a quick 8-3 lead following a trio of Tarawhiti kills. Bakersfield then struck right back, however, with five unanswered points to tie things up at 8-8. Tied 11-all, UVU then got back-to-back points on a kill from Allred and a block assist from Jarema and Tarawhiti to take a late 13-11 lead. The 'Runners then bounced back with a pair of consecutive points to again tie the score at 13-13. UVU then held a match-point advantage following a CSUB attack error, but the Roadrunners managed to score a pair of consecutive clutch points to take a 15-14 match-point advantage of their own. Bakersfield then put the match away the very next point thanks to a final kill from Mattison DeGarmo to take the fifth game, 16-14, and the match three sets to two. 
 
The freshman Tarawhiti paced UVU in the contest offensively with a season and match-high 26 kills. She also added a season-high seven blocks and five digs, while fellow freshman Kaili Downs followed with 10 kills. Jarema was also key for the Wolverines in the contest with eight kills and a single-match school record 14 block assists. The 14 blocks are good enough for a new program record in both total blocks and blocks assists, as she surpasses Erica Nish's previous single-match school record of 13 in total blocks that she set on Sept. 10, 2011 against Northern Arizona as well as three players that were previously tied for the block assist school record of 12 (Lauren Bakker, Nish and Kristen Anderson).
 
As a team, Utah Valley also posted a new single-match school record with 22.0 total blocks in the contest. The record surpasses the old mark of 21.0 total blocks set against Seattle U on Sept. 28, 2013. Despite dropping Saturday's match, UVU posted 12 more team blocks than Bakersfield on the day (22.0 - 10.0). A total of four Wolverines recorded seven or more blocks on the day, as Kristen Allred, Jasmine Niutupuivaha and Tarawhiti all added seven apiece to go along with Jarema's 14. 
 
Merrill too had a strong match for UVU by recording a career-high 36 digs. The 36 digs are good enough to tie her for the second most in the Utah Valley single-match school record books. 
 
With the opening set all tied up at 11-11, CSUB managed to reel off five unanswered points to take a 16-11 lead. Trailing 19-13, Utah Valley responded by scoring six of the next seven points to pull within a point at 20-19. Bakersfield then responded with back-to-back points to take a 22-19 advantage, but UVU later responded with kills from Tarawhiti, Downs and Allred to pull within a point late at 24-23. The 'Runners didn't let their lead slip away, however, as they answered back with a set-point kill from Brooke Boiseau to take the opener by a score of 25-23. 
 
In another tightly contested set that feature 14 total ties and six lead changes, the Wolverines took a 14-11 lead following a pair of block assists from Niutupuivaha and Tarawhiti as well as Niutupuivaha and Allred. The Roadrunners then quickly responded with four straight points to take a 15-14 advantage of their own. UVU later took an 18-17 lead following a Tarawhiti kill, but back answered CSUB with a trio of consecutive points to take a 20-18 advantage. With CSU Bakersfield up 22-21, Utah Valley then got a kill from Tarawhiti and a block from Allred and Niutupuivaha to take a late 23-22 lead. The 'Runners again responded, however, with back-to-back-to-back clutch points to take the second set, 25-23, and a 2-0 lead in the match. 
 
Desiree Sukhov paced CSUB in the contest with 17 kills and 11 digs. 
 
The Wolverines will continue a three-match WAC stretch away from home with two more road contests next week. UVU will first head to Seattle for a Thursday (Oct. 4) contest at Seattle U, before capping the trip on Saturday (Oct. 6) in Phoenix against Grand Canyon. Following the trip, UVU will return home to host fellow league foe UT Rio Grande Valley on Thursday, Oct. 11.