BUIES CREEK, N.C. – Behind 18 kills from Kazna Tarawhiti and 13 more from Kristen Allred, Utah Valley University volleyball managed to overcome a 2-1 deficit en route to earning a hard fought five-set victory over Campbell University in the Wolfpack/Camel Invitational opener on Thursday night at Gore Arena (22-25, 25-19, 21-25, 25-20, 15-7). 
 
The victory marks UVU's fourth in a row and fifth in its last six matches, as it improves to 6-3 on the season. The Fighting Camels, who were picked to finish third in the Big South Conference this season, drop to 2-6 with the setback.
 
"I was very pleased with our poise tonight. After losing the lead in the third set, the girls were able to keep their composure and make some key adjustments. When we did that, we were able to control more of what happened at the net and I was happy with our efforts," head UVU coach Sam Atoa said. 
 
The reigning WAC Offensive Player of the Week Tarawhiti also hit .220 in the contest for the Wolverines, while Preseason All-WAC honoree Allred added eight digs and a .257 hitting percentage. Kaili Downs too had a nice match by recording nine kills and a season-high .643 attack percentage, and senior Alexis Davies followed with eight kills and four blocks. Jasmine Niutupuivaha led UVU at the net on the night with a career-best eight blocks, while junior Jaysa Funk Stratton dished out a team-high 20 assists and two aces, and Seren Merrill led the way from the back row with 18 digs.  
 
In a must-win fourth set, UVU got off to a quick start as it opened an early 10-5 lead. Allred and Davies led the early run for the Wolverines with a pair of kills apiece during the stretch. Campbell later made it a three-point deficit at 11-8, but back answered UVU with six unanswered points to take a 17-8 advantage. Allred again was key for Utah Valley with two more kills during the run. Holding to a 20-13 lead, the Camels then made things interesting with five straight points to make it a two-point game at 20-18. Up 22-20, Tarawhiti then pounded home back-to-back kills and freshman Kenzie Guimont followed with a kill of her own to give the Wolverines a 25-20 fourth-set victory and force a decisive fifth set.    
 
Utah Valley continued to hold the upper hand in the fifth set, as it opened a quick 7-2 advantage. Funk Stratton capped the early rally for UVU with a kill and an ace. The Camels then pulled to within three at 8-5, but back answered UVU with kills from Allred and Niutupuivaha, as well as a Campbell attack error to extend its lead to 11-5. The Camels then got two points back to make it 11-7, but the Wolverines would go on to score four unanswered points to put the set and the match away. 
 
UVU both outhit (.270 - .141) and outblocked (12.0 - 8.0) the Camels on the night. Despite suffering the setback, Jessica Stocking paced Campbell on the evening with 15 kills and 10 digs. 
 
With UVU holding to an early 10-8 first-set lead following a kill from Niutupuivaha, the Camels responded with a 7-2 run to take a 15-12 advantage. Trailing 18-16, the Wolverines then managed to bounce back with back-to-back points to tie the score at 18-18. Allred and Downs led the spurt with a kill apiece. Campbell later regained a late three-point advantage at 23-20, but back answered UVU with kill from Tarawhiti and a service ace from Funk Stratton to pull the Wolverines within a point at 23-22. The Camels then managed to put the opening set away following back-to-back kills from Sarah Colla at 25-22. 
 
Utah Valley responded in the opening stages of the second set, as it built a quick 7-2 advantage following a pair of early kills from Niutupuivaha. Campbell then immediately responded with four unanswered points to make it 7-6, but UVU later countered with a 4-1 run to take a 13-8 lead. Downs led the spurt for Utah Valley with consecutive kills. Following another 4-1 run, the Wolverines would go on to stretch their lead to as many as eight at 21-13. The Camels would try to fight back with four unanswered points to make it a 21-17 deficit, but UVU would go on to finish off the set at 25-19 after scoring four of the final six points to tie the match at 1-1. Tarawhiti and Downs paced the Wolverines in the set with four kills apiece. 
 
The Fighting Camels then looked to bounce back in the third set thanks to jumping out to an early 8-3 lead. UVU immediately responded, however, with a 7-1 run to take a 10-9 advantage. Following a Campbell point, UVU then reeled off a 4-1 spurt to take a 14-11 lead. With Utah Valley later holding to a 17-14 advantage following another Tarawhiti kill, the Camels responded by scoring three of the next four points to make it 18-17. Up 20-18 after an Allred kill, Campbell would go on to reel off a key clutch 6-0 run to take a 24-20 set-point advantage. Following a UVU point, the Camels would then put the third set away, at 25-21, on a Utah Valley service error to take a 2-1 lead in the match.
 
The contest marked the UVU volleyball program's first-ever match in the state of North Carolina. 
 
The Wolverines will continue the Wolfpack/Camel Invite on Friday with two more matches at NC State's Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh. UVU will first face Appalachian State on Friday at 9 a.m. MT/11 a.m. ET, before capping the trip with a showdown against the NC State Wolfpack of the ACC on Friday at 5 p.m. MT/7 p.m. ET. Following the conclusion of the tournament, Utah Valley will then return home to face in-state foe Weber State on Tuesday, Sept. 11 at 6 p.m. at Lockhart Arena. 
 
"It's going to be a challenge. We've got two good teams again tomorrow (Friday), but that's a part of preseason," Atoa added. "I feel like we are learning some good lessons and we hope to be able to continue that on to Friday."