OREM — Fresh off its fourth straight WAC regular season championship and an at-large selection into the NCAA Tournament, Utah Valley travels to Boulder to face 12th-ranked Colorado on Friday night at Prentup Field. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. MT on ESPN+.

The Wolverines (14–4–3) return to the NCAA Tournament for the fifth time in program history and the first time since 2022. Friday's matchup features the two most prolific goal scorers in the nation, Utah Valley's Faith Webber, the national leader with 22 goals, and Colorado's Hope Leyba, who sits second with 21. The programs have met once previously, a 3–0 Colorado win in Boulder on Sept. 13, 2018.

A RETURN TO THE BIG DANCE

Utah Valley earned its second at-large bid in program history after assembling one of the nation's strongest postseason résumés. UVU finished 9–0–1 in WAC play, secured a fourth straight regular season crown, and reached the WAC Tournament championship match, going 1–0–1 before falling to California Baptist in a 4–3 penalty-kick shootout. The Wolverines own a 1–4 all-time record in NCAA Tournament play, with their lone win coming in the 2020 tournament (played spring 2021) against Memphis.

UVU enters the postseason with a top-40 RPI (No. 39) and an Adjusted Non-Conference RPI of No. 14. The Wolverines played nine opponents ranked inside the RPI Top 100 and went 11–0–2 against teams ranked 101 or higher, highlighted by a home win over LSU and a tie at home against California. UVU also had non-conference games against BYU, Auburn, Utah State and Kansas.

WEBBER LEADS NATION'S MOST DANGEROUS ATTACK

Few teams in the country score at Utah Valley's pace. The Wolverines enter Friday ranked:

• 2nd nationally in total goals (69), total assists (69), total points (207), shots per match (22.33), and shots on goal per match (10.52)

• 3rd in scoring offense (3.29), points per match (9.86) and goal differential (+42)

Individually, Faith Webber leads the nation with 22 goals and ranks second in points (48), first in shots per game (6.76) and first in shots on goal per game (3.14). Webber has now broken UVU's single-season scoring record in three consecutive years, owns 70 career goals and 157 career points, and recently shattered the WAC's all-time record for career goals in conference matches (42).

Ruby Hladek (15 goals, 11 assists), Nixan Jackson (nine assists) and a midfield anchored by WAC Defensive Player of the Year Mia Owens round out one of the deepest attacking groups in school history.

WAC CHAMPIONS AGAIN

Utah Valley rolled through the WAC with a 9–0–1 record, outscoring league opponents 43–7 and extending its WAC regular season unbeaten streak to 32 matches. The Wolverines swept three of the WAC's five major postseason awards—Hladek (Offensive POY), Owens (Defensive POY), and Chris Lemay (Coach of the Year)—and placed eight players on All-WAC teams. Five earned spots on the WAC All-Tournament Team after UVU's run to the championship match: Hladek, Webber, Shepherd, Owens and Bailey Peterson.

Lemay, now a five-time WAC regular season champion and two-time WAC Tournament champion, also recorded his 100th career win this season.

ABOUT NO. 12 COLORADO

Colorado (15–3–3, 8–1–2 Big 12) enters as a No. 3 seed after reaching the Big 12 Tournament semifinals and posting a dominant unbeaten home record (10–0–2). The Buffaloes rank among the nation's most explosive teams with a program-record 52 goals and 162 points, outscoring opponents 52–26.

Big 12 Forward of the Year Hope Leyba leads the attack with 21 goals, while three-time Big 12 Goalkeeper of the Year Jordan Nyles anchors the defense with a career .843 save percentage and 26 shutouts. Leyba, Nytes, Faith Leyba and Jace Holley earned First Team All-Big 12 honors.

Colorado is 7–1–0 at home in NCAA Tournament play and is making its 15th appearance in the national tournament.

SERIES HISTORY

Colorado leads the all-time series 1–0–0 after a 3–0 win in Boulder in 2018. Friday marks the programs' first postseason meeting and UVU's second trip to Prentup Field.

UVU NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY

This season marks Utah Valley's fifth all-time NCAA Tournament appearance (2015, 2017, 2020, 2022, 2025) and second at-large berth. The Wolverines' lone NCAA win came in 2020 (spring 2021) with a 1–0 victory over Memphis that sent UVU to the second round.