FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – Utah Valley split a pair of tightly-contested five-set matches in the Lumberjack Classic. The Wolverines dropped a heartbreaker against Arizona State, 3-2 (18-25, 25-23, 25-22, 23-25, 13-15), and survived a comeback by UC Davis, (22-25, 25-15, 25-13, 23-25, 15-7).
 
With the split, the Wolverines are now 2-5 on the season and have already played four matches that have gone the full five sets.
 
UC DAVIS   
 
Both teams battled back and forth to start the match before UVU used a 3-0 run to take an early 6-3 lead. UC Davis responded with a 9-3 surge to retake the lead, 12-9, but Kazna Tanuvasa and Natalie Palmer led a 6-2 counter to put the Wolverines ahead, 15-14. The Aggies responded with 6-3 run to recapture the lead, 21-18, but UVU scored three-straight points to tie it back up at 21 apiece. UC Davis was able to finish off the set, scoring four of the final five points to take the set, 25-22.
 
The Wolverines got off to a hot start in the second set, taking an early 7-3 lead. After a pair of Aggie points, UVU ripped off a 6-2 run to push its lead out to 13-7. UC Davis countered with three straight points, but Kendra Nock and Sadie Hamson led a stout defense as the Wolverines ran away with the second set, 25-25, to tie the match up at 1-1.
 
The third set was never in question as Tanuvasa and the Wolverine defense raced out to a 17-7 lead. UC Davis tried to make a comeback, using a 4-2 run to cut into the deficit, but Utah Valley finished the set on a 6-2 run to take the third set, 25-13, to take a 2-1 advantage in the match.
 
UVU again got off to a quick start in the fourth set, taking an early 10-6 lead. After both teams battled back and forth, the Wolverines used an 8-3 run to push its lead to 20-13. UC Davis stormed back, ripping off an 8-1 run to tie the set up at 21-21. UVU was able to regain the lead, 23-22, but the Aggies scored the final three points of the set to take the fourth set, 25-23, and send the match to a fifth and deciding set.
 
After falling behind 4-2 early, the Wolverines took control of the set as they outscored the Aggies 13-3 to take the final set, 15-7, and complete the win, 3-2.
 
Tanuvasa led the Wolverines, finishing with 16 kills and four blocks. Makayla Pollard had a career game, chipping in eight kills and a team-high six blocks. Abbie Miller and Palmer each had double-doubles with Miller adding 24 assists and 10 digs and Palmer finishing with 19 assists, 10 digs and three aces. Bryton Bishop finished with a team-high 20 digs and Caleigh Vagana had 11 digs.  
 
ARIZONA STATE
 
The Wolverines got off to an early 4-1 lead, but Arizona State countered with a 10-2 run to go up 11-6. Utah Valley used a balanced attack to ignite a 11-5 surge to retake the lead, 17-16. The Sun Devils would outscore UVU 9-1 to end the set, taking the opening frame, 25-18.
 
After a pair of ASU points, Utah Valley used a 4-2 run to tie the set up at 4-4. Arizona State scored three-straight points to retake the lead, but another 4-1 run by UVU tied the set back up at eight apiece. After both teams exchanged mini runs, the Sun Devils scored four-straight points to push its lead to 17-13. The Wolverines used a 10-3 run to get back in it, taking a 23-20 advantage. ASU made it interesting late, but Fink and Tanuvasa finished off the set, leading UVU to a 25-22 win to tie the match up at 1-1.
 
Both teams went back and forth to start the third set as Utah Valley went up, 5-4. The Sun Devils used a 4-1 run to take an 8-6 advantage, but the Wolverines responded with a 10-4 surge to take a 16-12 lead. After back-to-back points by ASU, UVU used a 6-2 run to extend its lead to 22-16. Arizona State rallied late, using a 6-2 run of its own to cut the deficit to 24-23, but Tanuvasa got the final kill to give the Wolverines a 25-23 win in the set and put UVU up 2-1.
 
The Sun Devils got out to a 6-1 lead in the fourth set but UVU used a 6-3 run to cut the lead to 9-7. After a pair of ASU points, Utah Valley ripped off four-straight points to tie the set up at 11-11. After both teams went back and forth, Arizona State went on a 6-2 run to extend its lead to 20-16. Tanuvasa and Kaili Downs brought the Wolverines back to within one point but were unable to overcome the deficit as the Sun Devils took the fourth set, 25-23, tying the match up at 2-2.
 
Fink kept Utah Valley in the final set as both teams played a 6-6 stalemate early. Arizona State used a 5-1 run to take an 11-7 advantage, but UVU scored three-straight points to cut the lead to 11-10. The Wolverines were unable to overcome the lead as the Sun Devils kept the lead the rest of the way, taking the last set, 15-13, and the match 3-2.  
 
Tanuvasa led UVU with 20 kills, seven digs, three blocks, and a pair of aces. Fink had her best game in a Wolverine jersey, scoring a career-high 15 kills to go along with five digs and a pair of blocks. Abbie Miller had another double-double, finishing with 34 assists and 11 digs while Bryton Bishop led UVU with 21 digs to go along with four assists.   
 
NEXT UP
 
The Wolverines continue at the Lumberjack Classic in Flagstaff, Ariz. as Utah Valley will take on host Northern Arizona on Saturday, Sep. 11, at 3:30 p.m. MT. UVU the returns home for a five-game homestand, starting with a match up with in-state rival Utah State on Tuesday, Sep. 14, at 6:00 p.m. in Lockhart Arena.