MISSOULA, Mont. – Utah Valley University came from behind to defeat the University of Southern Mississippi on Friday afternoon at Dahlberg Arena. Freshman Sami Blackett recorded a career-high 22 kills to lead the UVU (4-1) offense attack that saw three reach double digits in kills, with Avery Shewell adding 16 and Bella Wooden with ten. The Wolverines held the Golden Eagles (3-1) to a .190 hitting percentage.
 
"This was an awesome way to respond after last night. I am proud of the way the team was focused on what we needed to do to be ready today, especially with such a quick turnaround," said UVU head coach Sam Atoa.
 
The Wolverines rallied from a deficit in the match's opening set with a 9-2 run that Shewell started with a kill before she continued to hold the service, while Blackett caught fire with a pair of kills and a block assist where UVU took advantage of multiple USM attack errors to take a 21-20 lead. The lead didn't hold long as Southern Miss rallied and outscored Utah Valley 5-2 in the remaining set for the win.
 
The second set went back and forth early before the Golden Eagles pulled in front 11-9. The Wolverines, however, mounted a comeback and took the lead at 15-14 at the media timeout. Utah Valley found its offensive rhythm, which started with a block assist by Blackett and Maranda Woolf and a service ace by Lani Matavao. They took a 22-18 lead following kills from Blackett and Shewell before closing the set with a 25-18 win.
 
The Wolverines took control in the third set right from the start by scoring six of the set's first seven points after some USM miscues combined with kills from Blackett, Wooden, and Woolf. The Eagles quickly chipped away, climbed back into the set, and got within a point or two but still trailed UVU before they tied the match at 19. The combination of Blackett, Wooden, and this time Evalyn Chism, helped put UVU back in front, as they closed out the set with a service ace from Molly Cummard.
 
Southern Miss overcame a slow start in the final set as UVU once again got out to 7-2 lead with three USM attack errors; they slowly climbed back into the set and tied it up at 12-12. The Wolverines went to work, starting with a block assist by Blackett and Wooden, and later, a Shewell kill made it 15-12. The combination continued to provide a spark with a kill from Wooden and a solo block from Blackett, who then added a service ace to make it 18-13. The UVU frontline kept the pressure on the Golden Eagles and pushed it out to a 23-20 lead, allowing Natalie Palmer to close the match with a service ace, the same way she opened the match.
 
Chism set a new career-high in assists during the match with 51. She is the first to record 50 assists in a match since Kristi Lindley in August of 2007, when she recorded 51 against Northern Illinois. It's also the second double-double of the season for the sophomore setter.
 
The Wolverines wrap up play at the Ellesyn Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 7, at 2:00 p.m. MT against Boise State. The game will be on ESPN+ with live stats on GoUVU.com.