TUCSON, Ariz. – The No. 17-ranked Utah Utes (20-10, 11-8) dropped its last Pac-12 Conference road match of the season, falling 3-1 (25-22, 18-25, 16-25, 15-25) to the Arizona Wildcats (18-13, 10-9) Wednesday evening at the McKale Center.
The Utes finish the regular season with a 10-3 record in road games – the program's best record in matches played away from home since going 10-4 back in 2008. The 10 road victories are the program's most since Utah joined the Pac-12 in 2011.
Junior
Carly Trueman registered four of her five first set-kills early in the frame, which helped give Utah a 12-5 lead. Utah led late in the set 20-14, but Arizona scored eight of the next 12 points to get back within two points of the Utes, down 24-22, and that forced the Utes to call its first timeout of the set. Junior
Adora Anae wrapped up the frame though with her fourth kill of the set to give the Utes a 25-22 win.
It was Utah's first time to take a set from the Wilcats on the road since taking the second set back in 2012. Since then, Arizona had won 11 straight sets over the Utes at McKale Center.
Down 6-4 early in the second set, Utah got a pair of kills from Trueman to give the Utes an 8-7 lead, but the Wildcats retook the lead with a couple of 4-0 runs and were up 15-9 midway through the set. Utah would get back within three points, down 16-13, but another 4-0 run forced Utah to call timeout, down 20-13. Utah won four of the next five points, but Arizona closed out the set with a 4-1 run to tie the match 1-s after taking the second set 25-18.
Arizona opened the third set with an 8-3 run and never looked back on the way to downing the Utes 25-16 and taking a 2-1 lead in the match. Utah was limited to just .167 hitting while Arizona countered with a hitting percentage of .289 in the frame. Both Anae and Trueman led the way with four kills each, but it was not enough as an 11-4 run late in the set helped put the Wildcats over the top.
The Wildcats jumped out to an early 5-0 lead before running away with the fourth set, 25-15. Utah managed to get back within three points of the home squad, down 14-11, but Arizona closed out the frame netting 11 of the final 15 points to take both the set and match.
Anae paced Utah with a double-double, posting 16 kills and 16 digs in the match. Trueman added 15 kills, while freshman
Brianna Doehrmann posted a team-high 17 digs.
Despite out-hitting the Wildcats .381 to .195 in the first set, the Utes would finish hitting just .203, while the Wildcats regrouped to hit .302 overall.
The Utes will be back in action on Friday with a post-Thanksgiving contest against Colorado. First serve between the Utes and Buffs is set for 1 p.m. MT inside the Huntsman Center.