SEATTLE – Utah Valley University defeated Seattle University, 3-1 (25-14, 23-25, 25-22, 25-21). Sami Blackett finished with 19 kills, and Avery Shewell added 13 to lead UVU (10-4, 1-1) over Seattle U (2-10, 0-2). Bella Wooden set a new career-high with ten blocks in the match as the Wolverines won the battle at the net with a 13-3 difference in blocks. Arianna Bilby led the Redhawks with 21 kills in the match.
 
"I was really proud of how the team fought hard, especially when they were behind. They fought hard tonight, and it was fun to see them play. Every away match is going to be tough, so this was a good win for us," said UVU head coach Sam Atoa.
 
The Wolverines took the match's opening set behind seven kills from Blackett as she helped fuel an early 5-0 run to put UVU up 7-2. The UVU freshman later held the serve in a 7-0 run, including her two service aces to make it 14-4. The Redhawks used a timeout before Utah Valley kept the pressure on with a 3-0 run that included a kill from Steliyana Chakarova, and the lead was pushed to 19-7. Bella Wooden and Blackett helped UVU clinch the opening set after a pair of block assists before a service error ended the set.
 
The second set quickly changed for the Wolverines as Seattle U got out to an 8-1 lead, but they quickly started to chip away with kills from Maranda Woolf, and Chakarova made it 12-7. After a short run by the Redhawks, UVU again cut into the lead and made it 17-14 with a service ace from Natalie Palmer ending the run. She finished with two aces, which moved her into 11th place in service aces all-time. Near the end of the set, a 4-2 run by UVU wasn't enough to get the second set.
 
The Redhawks led 10-2 as Sam Atoa used his second timeout of the third set, but a 7-2 stretch quickly made it 14-12 after Chism's service ace was paired with a kill, making it 14-10, and later, Eliza Hakes added a kill off the bench before a block ended the run. Trailing 21-18, Hakes had a kill before Shewell led the charge to help UVU complete the comeback with the set's final four points.
 
Utah Valley trailed in the fourth set 13-7 after a Seattle 7-0 run, and it looked like they were going to force a fifth set, but UVU had other ideas, starting with a 6-2 run to cut into the deficit of 15-13 before a 5-0 run with a kill and two aces from Shewell. She finished with four aces in the match, helping fuel a 6-2 run to win the set with the match's final two kills after getting kills from Blackett, Woolf, and Hakes.
 
Shewell is now tenth all-time for service aces and needs three to pass Sierra Starley for ninth all-time. Sophomore libero Lani Matavao had one of her best matches of the season, finishing with 19 digs and adding seven assists. Chism recorded her 12^th career double-double with 35 assists and 14 digs while adding four blocks and three kills.
 
The Wolverines are back in action on Thursday, Oct. 3, against Utah Tech at 7:00 p.m. MT. The matchup will be the first of two in the Old Hammer Rivalry. Thursday's match will also mark the annual Lori Richard's Memorial Pink Game. The weekend closes with a visit by Grand Canyon for a Saturday, Oct. 5 contest at 1:00 p.m. MT.