LAS CRUCES, N.M. – The Utah Valley Wolverines will be dancing for the second-straight season. UVU punched its ticket to the NCAA Volleyball Tournament with a sweep of Grand Canyon, 3-0 (25-18, 25-22, 25-16) in the Pan American Center. With the win, UVU repeats as the WAC Volleyball Tournament champions, giving the Wolverines back-to-back appearance in the Big Dance.

With the win, UVU enters the NCAA tournament with a 16-12 record on the season. The Wolverines also enter the NCAA tournament on a five-game winning streak, having won its last eight sets. Grand Canyon's season comes to an end with a 19-7 record. 
 
Kazna Tanuvasa was named WAC Volleyball Tournament MVP and Tanuvasa and Kendra Nock were named to the All-Tournament team. This marks the fourth consecutive year that Tanuvasa has been named to the WAC All-Tournament team.
 
After an ace by Abbie Miller put UVU up 2-0, GCU scored three-straight points to go up, 3-2. Kazna Tanuvasa and Bryton Bishop led the Wolverines on a 4-1 run to retake the lead, 6-4. Grand Canyon tied the set up at 8-8, Utah Valley used another 4-1 run, capped by another Miller ace, to go up 12-9. Both teams alternated the next eight points before a 3-0 run by the Lopes tied the set up at 16-16. The Wolverines took over the set from there, finished the set on a 9-3 surge, punctuated by a Tanuvasa solo block, to take the opening set, 25-19.
 
Tori Dorius got the Wolverines off to a quick 5-2 start in the second set before Grand Canyon cut the lead down to 6-5. Nock and Miller sparked a 9-4 run to extend the lead back out to 15-9, before both teams alternated the next 13 points to put the score at 21-15. The Lopes made a 7-2 push to cut the lead to 23-22, but Nock and Kaili Downs blocked the final attack to give the Wolverines the set, 25-22, and a 2-0 lead.
 
Kristen Bell jumpstarted a dominating effort in the third set and Dorius and Sadie Hamson continued it as UVU took a commanding 16-2 lead. GCU fought back with a 10-3 surge to make it 19-12 but a pair of Miller aces capped a 4-0 run to give Utah Valley a 23-12 advantage. The Lopes made one final push, using a 4-1 run to trim the lead to 24-16, but Tanuvasa hammered home the final save to end the set, 25-16, to complete the sweep.
 
Tanuvasa finished with 10 kills on, .471 hitting, to go along with 7 digs and a couple of blocks. Nock dominated at the net, leading UVU with six blocks while Dorius added seven kills and five blocks. Bell chipped in six kills and four digs and Hamson finished with four blocks. Miller led Utah Valley with 19 assists to go along with a career-high five aces while Bishop tallied 14 digs, three assists, and a pair of aces.

The Wolverines now await their opponent in the NCAA Volleyball Tournament with the NCAA Selection Show set for Sunday, Nov. 28. More details will be released as they are made available.