ST. GEORGE, Utah – Utah Valley women's volleyball defeated Utah Tech on Thursday night 3-1 (25-19, 25-21, 18-25, 25-22) in the Old Hammer Rivalry. The win marks the eight straight for over the in-state foes. Tori Ellis finished with 15 kills, and Avery Shewell added 12 in the win. UVU (6-12, 3-4) got a career-high nine blocks from Vittoria Price to hold Utah Tech (6-11, 2-5) to a .146 hitting percentage.
 
Utah Valley did not trail in the opening set en route to a 25-19 victory. Avery Shewell took control in the first set with five kills on nine swings. The Wolverines used a 6-0 run to take an 11-4 lead after kills from Kalea Kennedy and Shewell before taking advantage of three attack errors. Utah Tech got back within three at 16-13 before UVU pushed their lead to 20-14 before clinching the set.
 
Ellis led UVU in the set with eight of her 15 kills to pace the UVU offense during the stretch, including three consecutive kills on a 6-1 run to push UVU in front after rallying from a 15-11 deficit. After the Trailblazers tied the match back up at 18, Utah Valley made another push to go back in front after kills from Hailey Cuff and Kennedy made it 20-18 in favor of the Wolverines before they would pull away, winning the set on kills from Caleigh Vagana, and Ellis. Price teamed up with Shewell for a set-clinching block assist.
 
Utah Tech took a 14-8 advantage midway through the third set before Utah Valley answered with a 6-2 run with a kill from Charity Wilson and a service ace from Lani Matavao. The Trailblazers responded with their own 4-0 run to push the lead back to 20-14 before they would wrap up and win the set 25-18.
 
The Wolverines pulled away early after kills from Price, Shewell, and Wilson to break a 3-3 tie during a 6-1 run and go up 9-4. After Utah Tech had pulled within three at 12-9, Utah Valley responded with a block assist by Ellis and Vagana, and later, Wilson added a service ace to expand the UVU lead out to 17-9. The Trailblazers had one more run left in them and got within one at 21-20 late in the set before tying it up at 22. Wilson came up with a big kill to give UVU a one-point lead before an attack error from UTU set the Wolverines up with match point, and Molly Cummard added the fifth ace of the night to clinch the match.
 
UVU had 50 assists in the match, led by setters Abbie Medeiros, who had 26, and Evalyn Chism, who added 19. Wilson set a new career high with three kills coming off the bench in the third set for Utah Valley.
 
Utah Valley will head north and play Southern Utah on Saturday, Oct. 14. The match is slated for 1:00 p.m. MT start from the America First Events Center. UVU will travel next week to Grand Canyon on Oct. 19 and California Baptist on Oct. 21.