VERMILLION, S.D. – Utah Valley women's volleyball dropped its final match of the South Dakota Classic, falling 3-0 (25-21, 25-21, 25-20) to Air Force on Saturday morning. Alysa Walker led the Falcons (2-3) with a match-high 19 kills.
Miley Thunstrom recorded a career-high 15 kills for the Wolverines (0-6), surpassing her previous career best of 12 set against Portland last season.
Alyvia Watkins added a season-high 10 kills.
After a 28-minute delay caused by a power outage in the area, Thunstrom got off to a fast start, recording five kills on 10 swings in the opening set. Utah Valley hit a season-best .406 in the frame, while Watkins contributed three kills and freshman
Chloe Hansen added four kills on eight attacks. Air Force countered with a .486 hitting percentage as a team to claim the first set.
Thunstrom helped Utah Valley build a 5-2 lead in the second set, while
Evalyn Medaris and
Olivia Gloeckner added early kills. Air Force responded with a 5-0 run to take the lead and later used a 4-0 spurt to extend its advantage to 17-12. The Wolverines cut the deficit to 19-17 with a 3-0 run that included a block assist from Gloeckner and Watkins before
Kenna McClure delivered one of Utah Valley's three service aces in the match. Utah Valley attempted to rally late, but Air Force held on to secure the set and take a 2-0 match lead.
The third set featured several momentum swings. After an 11-11 tie, the Wolverines used a 5-1 run to move ahead. Watkins opened the stretch with a kill before teaming with Medaris for a block to make it 13-11. Utah Valley continued to apply pressure with an Air Force attack error and kills from Watkins and Thunstrom that pushed the lead to 16-12. The Falcons responded by scoring the next nine points, taking control of the set and eventually sealing the sweep.
UP NEXT
Utah Valley will travel to the Kansas City Klassic next weekend. The Wolverines will face Drake and Kansas City on Friday, Sept. 11, before taking on Radford on Saturday, Sept. 12.
