OREM, Utah – Utah Valley University defeated CSU Bakersfield 3-1 (25-27, 25-21, 25-18, 25-15) on Saturday afternoon inside Lockhart Arena. UVU (3-0) was led by Avery Shewell, who finished with 18 kills, and Bella Wooden, who added 13 kills. CSUB (1-2) took the first set before the Wolverines rallied.
 
The Roadrunners took a 12-10 lead in the opening set before the Wolverines' 8-3 run put them ahead 18-15. Maranda Woolf started the run with a kill before Wooden added a block assist and a pair of kills. CSUB had another run in them, and they regained the lead at 19-18. After the two teams traded points before Utah Valley's Eliza Hakes and Sami Blackett got UVU within one at 24-23, and a bad set tied the opening set at 24 before the Runners pulled it out 27-25.
 
Wooden helped ignite another UVU run in the second when she had four points in a row on three of her five kills in the set and a block assist to put the Wolverines up 14-11. When Utah Valley needed a kill, they turned to Shewell, who had five kills in the second set. Madi Standifird stepped up to the service line and clinched the set with a pair of service aces to even the match.
 
Jules Fink started the third set and finished with four kills and five swings and added two blocks. Shewell helped UVU out to a 9-7 lead in the third with four kills and a service ace. The Wolverines took advantage of a CSUB service error and then went on a 9-2 run that featured aces by Evalyn Chism and Shewell to make it 18-12. UVU finished the set, hitting .400 and holding the Runners to a .148 in the set.
 
The UVU defense continued to hold CSUB in check in the fourth set, with six team blocks, three each from Fink, Wooden, and Steliyana Chakarova. Wooden started the set with three kills to help the Wolverines out to a 7-3 advantage. Later in the set, Chakarova added two kills and two blocks during a 7-0 run to make it 18-8. They went on to finish the set and match with a 25-15 victory.
 
Utah Valley finishes the weekend 3-0 and is off to its best start since 2009 when it won its first three matches of the year. Chism finished with 43 assists and is the first since Kristi Lindley in 2007 to have 40 or more assists in a match.
 
Following the match, Shewell was named the Tournament's Most Valuable Player with Chism, Matavao, and Wooden also earning spots on the All-Tournament Team.
 
The Wolverines will travel to Montana next week for three games. They will take on Montana on Thursday, Sept. 5, at 6:00 p.m. MT, face Southern Miss on Friday, Sept. 6, at 1:00 p.m. MT, and close out the weekend against Boise State on Saturday, Sept. 7, at 2:00 p.m. MT.
 
Utah Valley Invitational All-Tournament Team
Most Valuable Player:                  Avery Shewell, OH, Utah Valley
All-Tournament Team:                  Evalyn Chism, S, Utah Valley
All-Tournament Team:                  Bella Wooden, MB, Utah Valley
All-Tournament Team:                  Lani Matavao, L, Utah Valley 
All-Tournament Team:                  Samia Bhakta, MB, CSU Bakersfield
All-Tournament Team:                  Kalista Lukovich, OH, Eastern Washington
All-Tournament Team:                  Kaia Dunford, OH, Kansas City