OREM, Utah – Utah Valley women's volleyball lost to North Carolina State on Saturday night 3-2 (25-22, 25-20, 19-25, 17-25, 14-16). UVU (1-2) and NC State (2-1) played to 26 ties and 11 lead changes. Avery Shewell had a match-high of 18 kills, Tori Ellis added 17, and Evalyn Chism recorded a double-double with 22 assists and ten digs.
 
"I am very proud of how the team played tonight. It was a great battle between two very good teams. It was a tough loss for sure, but we learned so much about ourselves, which will help us get better. I loved how we fought through the entire match, especially when things were not connecting very well. We will hold our heads up high and prepare for our next challenge at Navy," said UVU head coach Sam Atoa.
 
The fifth set had seven ties and four lead changes. UVU took an early 3-1 set lead after two errors and a kill from Shewell, but the Wolfpack quickly fired with a 5-1 run to take a 6-4 lead and took the 8-7 lead into the timeout. Following a 3-0 run out of the timeout, NC State looked to take control with an 11-7 lead. The Wolverines had a run of their own, scoring the next five points off three errors and kills from Ellis and Kendra Nock. The senior Ellis was key down the stretch with two kills to tie the match, including one with an NC State match point, but in the end, Amanda Rice from NCSU had two kills to clinch the match.
 
Utah Valley took the opening set behind six kills from  Shewell as the Wolverines outhit the Wolfpack .438 to .257. NC State led by two for a majority of the set's first ten points, but soon after, UVU found their rhythm and took their first lead after a rare kill from Libero Lani Matavao to put them up 11-10. Later, they increased the lead to 16-13 after a service ace and kill from Shewell. NCSU rallied twice in the closing part of the set, with Tori Ellis, Hailey Cuff, and Shewell all having kills to clinch the set.
 
The Wolverines got out to an early 5-2 lead before extending the lead to 10-7 before a 5-1 run pushed the UVU advantage to 14-8. The Wolfpack looked to climb back into the set but could not get back within four. Utah Valley newcomer Vittoria Price had three kills in the set, and two block assists after making her second start of the year.
 
The third set was a race to ten, with the largest lead being UVU by two. NC State broke a 9-9 tie with an 8-2 run to go up 17-11. The Wolverines responded with a kill from Shewell and an attack error to make it 17-13. A 6-2 run by NCSU nearly put the set away until Utah Valley started a 3-0 run with an ace from Cuff and a kill from Ellis to make it 23-16 before the Wolfpack closed the set.
 
The momentum stayed in favor of NC State in the fourth set as they jumped out to an 8-4 lead and did not let up in the set. Shewell had five kills in the set to lead UVU.
 
Utah Valley travels this next weekend to the United States Naval Academy, where they will meet Navy on Sept. 1 at 5:00 p.m. MT and then face Old Dominion and Maryland on Sept. 2. All matches will be played at the Wesley L. Brown Fieldhouse. The Wolverines are next home for Utah State on Sept. 14 at 6:00 p.m. MT.
 
Utah Valley Invitational All-Tournament Team
 
Lauren Jardine, OH, Utah
KJ Burgess, MB, Utah
Lani Matavao, DS/L, Utah Valley
Avery Shewell, OH, Utah Valley
Jada Allen, MB, NC State
Amanda Rice, OPP, NC State
 
Tournament MVP: Ava Brizard, NC State