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1:30 PM
Volleyball
vs California Baptist
Tuesday, September 6
Logan, Utah
6:00 PM
University of Utah
3
at
2
Utah State
Volleyball Eeks Out Five-Game Win at Utah State
9/6/2005 12:00 AM | Volleyball
Sept. 6, 2005
LOGAN, Utah - Utah State's Smith Spectrum has always been a difficult place to play for the University of Utah volleyball team (3-2 overall) - and tonight was no different. The Utes had a 2-0 lead over the Aggies and had to overcome a sluggish game two and three to escape with the 3-2 win.
Game scores were 30-25, 30-25, 25-30, 26-30 and 15-12. Utah State is now 4-3 for the season.
"That's the type of match I expected," said head coach Beth Launiere. "I was surprised at how well we controlled games one and two. But, never did I think it was going to be a 3-0 match.
"Utah State came out a different team in game three and we came out unfocused. We're a young team and we have to understand that it's hard to win on the road. In college volleyball, when you're up 2-0, you have to close it out."
Four Utes tallied double-digit kills tonight, led by Shelly Sommerfeldt's 19. She had a double-double as she also led the team with 19 digs. Airial Salvo and Lori Baird each had 12 kills and Kathryn Lovell 11. Shannon Krug dished out a match-high 55 assists in running the offense.
Defensively, Emillie Toone led the Utes with seven total blocks. Sommerfeldt chimed in with four of her own.
Utah State was led by Zuzana Cernianska with her 26 kills and Dominique Arsenault's team-high 43 assists. Kelsi Peterson had a game-high 30 digs and Monarisa Ale had an astounding nine total blocks.
The Utes led by as much as five early in game one, 12-9, but saw the home team rally to tie it at 16-16. Despite Utah State's surge, the Utes never lost their lead and even stretched it to as much as six points, 28-22, in keeping the Aggies at bay. Utah's efforts were buoyed by Salvo and Sommerfeldt who combined for 11 of the team's 18 kills and hit .600 and .556, respectively.
Utah led from wire to wire in game two, leading by three or more points for most of the way. The Utes had six-point leads on several occasions late in the game, the last being 28-22. Utah hit a swift .262 in the second game (to Utah State's .143) and outblocked its rivals 3.0-0.
Hitting woes plagued Utah in game three. The Utes hit .287 in the first two games but connected on a meager 10 percent of their chances in the third stanza. As a result, Utah fell behind early, 12-6. Utah tied it at 18-18 but Utah State rallied to take control, 26-20, and cruised to for the five-point win.
Utah State held on to the momentum from game three as it seemed to reel Utah back in each time it led. After 14 ties, USU was able to capture a three-point lead late in the game, 27-24. In the end, momentum was the deciding factor as the Aggies persevered for the four-point win.
Utah finally retained control of the match when in game five it broke a 9-9 tie. Utah went up 12-9 and had to battle for game point on three occasions. Finally a Utah State hitting error gave Utah the three-point win.
The Utes return to action this Friday and Saturday, Sept. 9-10, at the Results Advertising Missouri State Classic in Springfield, Mo. On the docket are Iowa State, Arkansas and Missouri State.
Notes: Shelly Sommerfeldt had a career high in digs (19) ... tonight was the Utes' first five-game match of the season.
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