Utah Valley vs. Utah State
Tuesday, Sept. 4  |  6 p.m. MT
Lockhart Arena   |  Orem, Utah
WAC Digital Network  |  Live Stats  |  Tickets  |  UVU Notes  |  USU Notes
 

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WOLVERINES WELCOME AGGIES TO TOWN FOR TUESDAY EVENING CLASH
OREM, Utah – Fresh off of a 2-1 outing at the Oregon Classic over the weekend in Eugene, Oregon, the Utah Valley University volleyball team will return home to welcome in-state rival Utah State to town for a Tuesday evening contest at Lockhart Arena. The in-state matchup will begin at 6 p.m. MT. 
 
The contest will be streamed live on the WAC Digital Network (WACDigitalNetwork.com) and will also feature live stats by visiting UVUStats.com. For ticket information, visit GoUVU.com/tickets.
 
Utah Valley will enter the contest with a 4-3 record and having won three of its last for matches after going 3-1 last week. UVU first picked up a 3-1 victory over Idaho State in its home opener on Aug. 28, before posting a second-place finish at the Oregon Classic. After dropping a 3-0 contest to the 18th-ranked and host Oregon Ducks on Aug. 31, UVU responded with a 3-0 sweep over Arkansas-Pine Bluff as well as a 3-1 come-from-behind victory over Long Beach State in the weekend tournament finale. 
 
Both freshman Kazna Tarawhiti and sophomore Kristen Allred led the way for UVU at the tournament en route to earning Oregon Classic All-Tournament Team honors. The recognition marked Allred's second of the young season and Tarawhiti's first. Tarawhiti too was named the WAC Offensive Volleyball Player of the Week on Monday after her stellar play for the Wolverines last week. 
 
The freshman outside hitter Tarawhiti averaged 4.79 kills per set, a .261 hitting percentage, and recorded double-digit kills in each of UVU's four matches on the week. Her best match came on Saturday against Long Beach State, throwing down 22 kills with just five errors for a .370 hitting percentage and 5.9 points per set. She also added three service aces to go with 16 kills in a sweep over Arkansas-Pine Bluff, and a double-double of 19 kills with 10 digs in a home win over Idaho State. Preseason All-WAC selection and sophomore outside hitter Allred too shined for UVU on the week with an average of 3.77 kills per set and a .309 hitting percentage. Allred also added double figures in kills in three of UVU's four matches, including 17 kills against Long Beach State and 16 versus Idaho State. 
 
After dropping the opening set in their most recent match against LBSU, the Wolverines responded by winning the next three sets finish the Oregon Classic with a second-place showing (21-25, 25-21, 25-17, 25-19). Tarawhiti and Allred were both key in the match for UVU by driving home 22 and 17 kills, respectively. Sophomore setter and Utah State transfer Jaysa Funk Stratton too had a nice match for the Wolverines by recording her first double-double of the season with a match-high 24 assists and a team-high 11 digs. As a team, UVU outhit (.304 to .188) and outblocked (12.0 to 7.0) the 49ers in the contest on its way to picking up its second straight win over LBSU.
 
Tarawhiti paces the Wolverines offensively on the season and currently ranks second in the WAC with a 4.09 kills per set average. Allred is next with a 3.58 kills per set clip and a team-best .282 hitting percentage, while junior Makaila Jarema fronts the squad and the WAC at the net with a 1.44 blocks per set average. 
 
ABOUT UTAH STATE
The Aggies will come to town with a 1-5 record on the young season after going winless in three matches at the Utah State Invitational in Logan last weekend. USU fell to WAC foe UT Rio Grande Valley, Loyola Marymount and Cal Poly all in straight sets. Utah State's lone win of the year is a 3-2 victory over CSUN at the Sacramento State Invite on the opening weekend. The Aggies went 16-14 a season ago and 8-10 in Mountain West play. USU was picked to finish eighth in the Mountain West this season. 
 
Gabbi Shumway leads the Aggies on the season with a 2.70 kills per set average. Lauren O'Brien tops the team in blocks with a 1.40 per set clip, while the former Wolverine Izzie Hinton (now Hinton-Belnap) holds a 2.24 kills per set average and a .363 attack percentage. 
 
ALL-TIME SERIES VS. USU
Tuesday's contest will mark the 16th all-time meeting between UVU and USU. Utah State will enter holding to a slight 8-7 all-time lead, but Utah Valley holds a 3-3 record in Orem. The Wolverines also took down the Aggies last season in Logan (Sept. 5, 2017) in four sets.  
 
ATOA'S CLOSING IN ON WIN NUMBER 400
After recording a trio of wins this past week, head Utah Valley volleyball coach Sam Atoa will now enter the week just six wins shy of recording his 400th career victory. Atoa, who is currently in his 20th season as UVU's head coach, will enter the week with a 394-224 career record (.638 winning percentage). Atoa, who earned WAC Coach of the Year honors in 2016, holds a 256-193 mark during his 16 seasons of coaching UVU at the NCAA Division I level, as well as a 138-31 clip during his four seasons of coaching the Wolverines during the school's NJCAA era.
 
UP NEXT FOR UVU
Following Tuesday's meeting against Utah State, the Wolverines will head to the East Coast to take part in the NC State/Campbell Invitational. UVU will first face Campbell in Buies Creek on Thursday, before heading to Raleigh to take on Appalachian State and NC State on Friday.