SALT LAKE CITY – Utah Valley was unable to overcome slow starts in each set as the Wolverines dropped a three-set match to Cal Poly, 3-0 (21-25, 27-29, 17-25) in the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City. With the loss, UVU falls to 1-3 on the season as the Mustangs improve to 2-4 on the year.
 
Cal Poly opened up an early 8-4 lead in the opening set before back-to-back points by the Wolverines cut the lead down to two. After a pair of Mustang points, UVU used a 4-2 run to cut the lead down to 12-10. A 4-1 run by Cal Poly extended the deficit to 16-11 but the Wolverines used a 3-1 run to stay alive, 17-14. After three-straight points by the Mustangs, Utah Valley made a final push to cut the lead down to 23-20, but Cal Poly finished off the set, 25-21.
 
The Mustangs again got off to an early start in the second set, 10-6, but Kazna Tanuvasa hit home a pair of kills to cut the lead to 10-8. After back-to-back points by Cal Poly, Sadie Hamson and Tanuvasa led a 6-1 run to give the Wolverines a 14-13 advantage. The Mustangs countered with a 11-5 run to put UVU on the brink, 24-19, but Utah Valley came roaring back with six-straight points to retake the lead, 25-24. Kaili Downs kept the Wolverines alive as both teams battled back and forth but the Mustangs scored the final three points of the set to take the set, 29-27.
 
Cal Poly got off to a quick start as the Mustangs took an early 5-1 lead in the third set. Tanuvasa led a 4-2 run by the Wolverines to cut the lead to 7-5, but Cal Poly rattled off a 10-4 run to push its lead to 17-9. Tanuvasa led another rally as UVU used a 7-2 surge to trim the deficit to 19-16, but the Mustangs would outscore the Wolverines 6-1 down the stretch to take the final set, 25-17, to finish off the sweep.  
 
Tanuvasa led the Wolverines with 16 kills and 11 digs. Natalie Palmer chipped in a team-high 14 assists and nine digs and Abbie Miller added 10 assists and seven digs. Bryton Bishop led UVU with 14 digs to go along with three assists.  
 
The Wolverines continues on the road as UVU heads to Ogden to take on in-state rival Weber State on Wednesday, Sep. 8, at 6:00 p.m. Utah Valley then wraps up its road trip with the NAU Tournament in Flagstaff, Ariz. with three games in two days on Sep. 10-11.