OREM, Utah - The Wolverines came back from an 0-2 deficit to defeat the Vaqueros of UT Rio Grande Valley on Saturday in Lockhart Arena. UVU posted a five-set finish over UTRGV, (21-25, 18-25, 25-9, 25-22, 15-7).
Set one and two was claimed by UT Rio Grande Valley after a six-point run, followed by another four-point run from the Vaquero side of the court that captured and maintained the lead in the first. The second set was closer in a point-for-point battle between the two WAC teams, before UTRGV pulled away in a 12-16 lead to eventually take the second.
Set three began with back-to-back kills and a block from sophomore outside hitter
Kazna Tarawhiti, followed by a five-point run to give the Wolverines a comfortable lead, 12-4. Three more kills from Tarawhiti and a pair of attacks from
Jasmine Niutupuivaha on the front row would give Utah Valley a huge eight-nothing stride and keep the Vaqueros under double digits, ending the set over UTRGV, 25-9.
UVU and UTRGV cleared six lead changes in the fourth set, tied at 19-19. The Wolverines pulled away with kills from
Megan Childs and Tarawhiti late in the fourth set for a breaking five-point lead to end the set over UT Rio Grande Valley, 25-22. Tarawhiti posted six kills in the fourth set alone.
A decisive fifth set was tied, 2-2 before UVU's Niutupuivaha and
Tori Dorius claimed a pair of kills at the net to push the Wolverines up over the Vaqueros in a five-nothing stride. Utah Valley would again hold UT Rio Grande Valley under double digits in the last set of the day, 15-6. Dorius tallied four kills in the 21-point set.
Tarawhiti tallied 19 kills in the five-set contest, recording the second highest number of kills for the 2019 season so far, just behind her 21-kill campaign against nationally-ranked Hawaii. Tarawhiti also posted five blocks. Childs became a powerhouse on the front line for UVU, as she claimed a season-high 11 kills and two block-assists on the day.
UVU will now hit the road to face off against CSU Bakersfield on October 3 at 7pm MT before heading to Arizona to take on Grand Canyon on October 5 at 4pm MT.
