SEATTLE, Wash. – Utah Valley heads to the Pacific northwest to take on WAC-foe, Seattle U, on Thursday, Oct. 7, in the Redhawk Center. The match is set to begin at 7:00 p.m. MT. This marks the 20th matchup on the court as the Wolverines hold an 13-6 record against the Redhawks all-time. Utah Valley won both matchups against Seattle U last season in Orem.
Seattle U is from Seattle, Wash., and calls the Western Athletic Conference home. SU is 3-11 this season, including a 0-3 record in WAC play. The Redhawks went 2-10 a season ago, including 2-10 in WAC matches.
Utah Valley knocked off conference foe, Chicago State, 3-1 (25-18, 23-25, 25-19, 25-17) on the road to pick up the Wolverines first WAC win of the season. Tanuvasa led the Wolverines with 18 kills to go along with 12 digs and a career-high four aces. Fink added 10 kills and three blocks and Bell had a team-high 18 digs to go along with nine kills. Kalea Kennedy finished with six kills and a season-high five blocks and Kendra Nock had a team-high seven blocks. Abbie Miller led UVU with 26 assists and nine digs while Natalie Palmer chipped in 16 assists and nine digs. Bryton Bishop added 12 digs, six assists, and an ace.
Sadie Hamson's career night led Utah Valley to a record-setting match, however the Wolverines fell short against Grand Canyon, 3-2 (25-22, 19-25, 25-18, 21-25, 14-16) in Lockhart Arena. UVU set a school-record with 22.5 total blocks while Hamson tied Makaila Jarema for the third most blocks in a match with 13 total blocks. Hamson and Jules also became the first UVU duo to each have double-digit blocks in the same match. The Wolverines were led by Hamson's 13 blocks, Fink's 10 blocks, and Kendra Nock's nine blocks.
Utah Valley Libero Bryton Bishop was named the Western Athletic Conference Defensive Volleyball Player of the Week for the week of September 13 through September 19. Bishop, a sophomore from Pleasant Grove, Utah, recorded a pair of 20-plus dig outings to lead the Wolverines to a 2-1 record during last week's homestand. On the week, she averaged 5.00 digs per set, including 5.75 digs per set in a four-set victory over Idaho State. She also notched 12 digs against No. 15 BYU on Saturday.
Senior outside hitter Kazna Tanuvasa is currently fourth in UVU history in career kills (1398), needing four to pass Jessica Endres for third all-time. Tanuvasa also ranks third in career attacks (3718) and fourth in career points (1566.0). Senior outside hitter Kristen Bell currently ranks seventh in career points (1080), eighth in kills (911), fifth in career attacks (2879), eighth in solo blocks (21), and 10th in aces (68). Abbie Miller now currently ranks eighth in career assists with 622 assists.
