OREM, Utah – No. 16 Brigham Young University defeated Utah Valley, 3-1 on Saturday afternoon inside the UCCU Center. UVU (4-8) took their first set from BYU (12-0) since the 2020 season in front of the fifth largest crowd in program history with 1,877 in attendance.  Sami Blackett had 21 kills for the Wolverines in the match. The Cougars were led by Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year, Claire Little Chambers who finished with 25 kills and eight digs.
 
"I was very pleased with the way we played tonight," said UVU head coach Sam Atoa." Our team showed some grit and gave themselves a chance. I am proud of the way we executed our game plan. There is definitely a few things we will need to work on, but I like where we are at as we prepare for conference play." 
 
Utah Valley jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first frame, starting with a kill from Olivia Gloeckner before she and Bella Wooden teamed up for a block assist. UVU built a 13-9 lead after a service ace from Sami Blackett that forced a timeout from the Cougars. BYU used a 4-0 run following the timeout, but the Wolverines responded with a kill from Wooden before a block assist by Gloeckner and Alyvia Jaffa made it 15-13. Jaffa finished with a career-high nine total blocks in the match.  The projected Big 12 championships won the opening set 25-19. 
 
The Wolverines cut into an early Cougar lead with a 3-0 run that was fueled by Glockner, who had a kill and a block assist before Wooden's ace found the backline to make it 5-4. UVU got within two at 14-12 after they scored five out of six consecutive points to make it 14-12 with Blackett's spike. The match was tied at 17 in the second following an attack error by Little Chambers to force a Cougar timeout. Utah Valley finished the set with a 3-0 run with two kills from Blackett and a block assist from Gloeckner and Jaffa. It's the first time that BYU has dropped a set since its Sept. 5 match against Wichita State. 
 
BYU went ahead 11-9 with a 3-0 run in the third set before Utah Valley called the first timeout of the set. The Wolverines chipped into the Cougar lead later in the third set and made it 17-15 after Gloeckner and Page had back-to-back points to force a timeout by Heather Olmstead. Following the timeout, the Cougars responded to pull away, going up 22-16. Utah Valley would not go away with a short 3-0 burst that was aided by an ace from Page. The set went to BYU 25-21 after a pair of kills. 
 
The Wolverines built a 10-7 lead in the fourth set thanks to a 5-1 run that was led by the front row of Evalyn Chism, who had two block assists with the nation's block leader, Wooden. UVU entered the match, leading the country in total blocks, and added 17 more to their total for the second time this week, after having 17 against Weber State on Thursday. The Cougars responded, though, to tie the fourth set at 10. Utah Valley had pulled up 15-13 at the media timeout, but BYU answered with a run of their own that featured two aces to take a 17-15 lead. After UVU had chipped into the Cougar lead to make it 19-18. The two teams battled to a tie at 22 after a block at the net from Gloeckner and Jaffa. Blackett again tied the match two separate times, including at 24, before BYU was able to win the set and secure the match. 
 
Libero, Lani Matavao finished with a season-high 19 digs in a solid defensive effort that helped keep the ball in play several times for the Wolverines. 
 
UP NEXT
Utah Valley will prepare for their WAC opener on Thursday, Sept. 25 at 7:00 p.m. MT against Abilene Christian. The match will be played at Westminster University in Salt Lake City. UVU hosts Tarleton State on Saturday, Sept. 27 at 6:00 p.m. MT at Smith Fieldhouse.