OREM, Utah - The Wolverines cap the first-round of WAC tournament play with a clean sweep over the No. 4 seed UT Rio Grande Valley on Thursday night in the Lockhart Arena, 3-0 (25-17, 25-22, 25-23). 

UVU collected 13 total kills in the first set against UTRGV with a .455 hitting percentage as a team as Megan Childs led the Wolverines with four kills and a block. UVU and UTRGV tied the score three different times in the first, but the Wolverines never gave the lead to the Vaqueros, eventually ending the set, 25-17. 

Set two was another strong campaign for Utah Valley as Kazna Tarawhiti topped both UVU and UTRGV with seven kills in set two alone. Tarawhiti hit an even .500 attack average and added two blocks as well. Senior middleblocker Makaila Jarema tallied six blocks in the first two sets, the most of both teams, to hold a solid defense and take the victory in set two, 25-22. 

In set three, Tarawhiti added four more kills to total 14 kills in the matchup, the highest number from both UVU and UTRGV. Jarema again added three more blocks in the third to collect nine blocks on the night, Jarema's second highest tally of the season. 

As a team, UVU out-hit UTRGV with a .244 hitting average, 37 kills and 22 team blocks in the three-set sweep. 

Utah Valley advances on the heels of the victory over the Vaqueros, and will look to face the No. 1 seed, regular-season undefeated New Mexico State Aggies (16-0). NMSU averages 13.5 kills per set on a .264 hitting average, 12.4 assists per set, 13.8 digs per set and 2.9 blocks per set. The Wolverines and the Aggies meet on Friday, November 22 at 6pm MT in Lockhart.