LAS CRUCES, N.M. – Utah Valley heads to Las Cruces, N.M. for a first-round matchup with #2 New Mexico State in the WAC Volleyball Tournament on Thursday, Nov. 18. The match is set to begin at 7:00 p.m. MT in the Pan American Center and will be broadcasted on ESPN+. This marks the 22nd matchup between NM State and Utah Valley on the volleyball court, with UVU holding a 5-16 record. The Wolverines both matchups with the Aggies this season. A season ago, UVU and NMSU met in the WAC Volleyball Tournament Championship as the Wolverines knocked off the Aggies, 3-0 to win the championship.
New Mexico State is from Las Cruces, N.M., and calls the Western Athletic Conference home. NMSU is 19-8 this season, including a 10-4 record in WAC play. The Aggies went 16-2 last season, including 13-1 in conference play, with both losses coming to the Wolverines.
A trio of Utah Valley seniors powered a balanced attack to sweep WAC foe, Seattle U, 3-0 (25-17, 25-11, 25- 21) at home on Senior Day. Bell led the Wolverines with 12 kills, making her the sixth player in school history to reach 1000 career kills. She also added 12 digs, three blocks, and a pair of service aces. Dorius added nine kills and Tanuvasa finished with eight kills. Hamson chipped in six kills, on .625 hitting, to go along with three blocks. Downs had five kills, on .556 hitting, and Bishop added 11 digs to go along with five assists. Abbie Miller finished with 14 assists, Natalie Palmer had 11 assists, and Boyack tallied eight assists.
Utah Valley senior outside hitter Kazna Tanuvasa has been named to the the All-WAC First Team, league officials announced on Wednesday. Tanuvasa becomes the first Wolverine to be named a first team all- conference performer in four consecutive seasons. The All-Conference honors are voted on by the WAC's head coaches. Freshman outside hitter Jules Fink was nominated to the WAC All-Freshman team.
The Wolverines currently rank #11 in the nation in blocks/set assists as a team with 2.68 blocks per set.432. Utah Valley also ranks in the top 15 in the country in both total blocks (265.0) and blocks assists (432) as a team. UVU leads the WAC in each of those categories. Sadie Hamson and Kendra Nock lead the Wolverines while ranking first and second in the WAC in blocks/set. Nock also leads the WAC in total blocks.
Senior outside hitter Kazna Tanuvasa is currently second in UVU history in career kills (1552), needing 49 to pass Kayli Doxey for the most all-time. Tanuvasa also ranks third in career attacks (4059) and third in career points (1739). Senior outside hitter Kristen Bell currently ranks seventh in career points (1205), sixth in kills (1008), fourth in career attacks (3179), sixth in solo blocks (26), and eighth in aces (80). Abbie Miller now currently ranks eighth in career assists with 845 assists.
