MISSOULA, Mont. – Utah Valley University women's volleyball swept Boise State 3-0 (25-21, 27-25, 25-20) on Saturday afternoon at Dahlberg Arena. UVU (5-1) took advantage of 23 attack errors by Boise State (3-2), while the Broncos hit a season-low .134 in the match.
Avery Shewell finished with 13 kills, seven digs, and four of the Wolverine's ten total blocks in the match.
"It was such an awesome win!! So proud of how the team executed our game plan today. Each time they were challenged, they stepped up and fought back. They played poised and patient throughout the match!" said UVU head coach
Sam Atoa.
Blackett continued where she left off yesterday with seven kills on her first eight swings in the first set. She scored four of UVU's first five points in the match with three kills and a service ace. The Broncos overcame the fast start after a 6-1 run to make it 9-7, but the lead didn't last long before Utah Valley's Shewell chipped away with a kill and back-to-back service aces during a 6-1 stretch to take a 13-10 advantage. The Wolverines pulled away to take the opening set of the match 25-21.
Boise State held a narrow 22-19 lead late in the second before Utah Valley rallied after a kill from Blackett before she and
Bella Wooden had a pair of block assists to make it tied at 22. UVU had their first chance to win the set after one of Wooden's seven kills before the Broncos evened the set, but Blackett quickly put UVU in front 25-24, and after the set was tied at 25, it was Shewell who ended the set with consecutive kills.
Utah Valley held the Broncos to a match-low .093 on hitting in the final set and took an early advantage with
Natalie Palmer serving as part of a 3-0 run to go up 7-4 after an attack error and a pair of UVU kills. The lead was extended to 15-7 after UVU's middle blockers Wooden and
Maranda Woolf added kills before Woolf teamed up with Shewell for a pair of blocks. The Wolverine lead was narrowed with a Boise State run that made it 22-17 before Shewell added a kill, UVU won a challenge on a potential service ace to make it 24-17, and Blackett finished the match with a kill.
The Wolverines will now head to the Classic City Clash in Athens, Ga. They will play Jacksonville on Friday, Sept. 13, at 3:00 p.m. MT before facing off with Boston College on Saturday, Sept. 14, at 10:30 a.m. MT. They will wrap up the tournament against the host Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday, Sept. 15, at 5:30 p.m. MT.
