OREM – The Wolverines return home for its final homestand of the season as UVU hosts WAC-foe Grand Canyon in Lockhart Arena on Monday and Tuesday, March 22-23. The 'Lopes are 10-2 on the year, including 10-2 in WAC play. Monday's match is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. MT while Tuesday's match is set to begin at 12:00 p.m. MT. Utah Valley will be celebrating its seniors, libero Seren Jardine and setter Jaysa Funk Stratton, before the match on Monday night.
 
Grand Canyon is from Phoenix, Ariz., and are currently competing with UVU for second place in the Western Athletic Conference. The 'Lopes were picked to finish second in the conference in the preseason WAC poll. GCU is led by two-time WAC defensive player of the week sophomore middle blocker Hannah Eskes, two-time WAC offensive player of the week senior outside hitter Yenny Murillo, and sophomore setter Klaire Mitchell.
 
The Wolverines and 'Lopes have met 14 times with UVU holding a 13-1 record, including an 6-1 record at home. The Wolverines won the first 13 matches before dropping the last one, 3-0, in Orem, on Nov. 2, 2019. UVU and GCU split during the regular season a year ago with UVU winning in four sets in Phoenix.
 
The Wolverines swept last week's series with WAC-foe in UT Rio Grande Valley in UTRGV Fieldhouse. In the first match, Utah Valley won three-straight sets to dispatch UTRGV, 3-1 (15-25, 25-17, 25-23, 25-21). After dropping the first set, Funk Stratton's double-double led UVU to win the next three sets. In the rematch, the Wolverines completed the season sweep of UT Rio Grande Valley with a dominating sweep, 3-0 (25-15, 28-26, 25-21). Jardine led Utah Valley with 27 digs, passing McKenna Tait for the all-time UVU career digs record with 1748 digs.
 
Jardine passed McKenna Tait for the lead in all-time career digs in Utah Valley history. Jardine registered 27 digs in UVU's 3-0 win over UT Rio Grande Valley on Tuesday, March 16, bringing her digs total to 1759 to pass Tait's total of 1747. Tait set her record in 2014 after passing Allyce Jones (1731) from 2009. Jardine passed Jones the night before in the Wolverines' 3-1 victory over UTRGV.
 
Junior outside hitter Kazna Tanuvasa (1149) passed Lauren Bakker for fourth all-time in career kills. The Orem native is 253 kills away from passing Jessica Endres (1401) for third in the record books. Tanuvasa (3062) also passed Lexi Thompson (2802) for fourth in total attacks and now needs 98 more attacks to pass Endres for third. Tanuvasa also ranks sixth in career points (1285.5) and needs just 22 points to enter the top five. Funk Stratton (1184) became the seventh player in UVU history reach the 1000 assist plateau and is also an ace away from ranking in the top 10 in career service aces. Junior outside hitter Kristen Bell now ranks in the top 10 in career kills with 762 career kills.
 
Utah Valley will host the 2021 WAC Volleyball Tournament in Lockhart Arena on April 1-3. The Wolverines will either be the number two or three seed in the conference tournament, depending on the results of this week's matchups with Grand Canyon. With a sweep or a series split, UVU will clinch the second seed and a bye in the WAC tournament and play next on Friday, April 2. If GCU were to sweep the Wolverines, the 'Lopes would take the second seed and Utah Valley would be the third seed and would play on Thursday, April 1.