Completed Event: Volleyball versus University of Northern Iowa on December 4, 2025 , Loss , 2, to, 3
Final Score
Volleyball
2
vs University of Northern Iowa
3
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The University of Utah Athletics
Wednesday, September 21
Boulder, Colo.
7:00 PM
University of Utah
10-2
3
at
2
Colorado
8-3
1
2
3
4
5
F
Utah
25
15
21
25
20
3
Colorado
18
25
25
16
18
2
Team Stats
UTAH
COLO
Kills
67
60
Errors
28
27
Attempts
185
187
Hitting %
.211
.176
Points
81.0
73.0
Assists
59
54
Aces
2
1
Blocks
12.0
12.0
Game Leaders
Kills
27
Aces
2
Blocks
4
Kills
10
Aces
0
Blocks
7
Kills
9
Aces
0
Blocks
5
Kills
8
Aces
0
Blocks
3
Players Mentioned
OH/RS
/ Volleyball
S
/ Volleyball
OH/L
/ VolleyballOH
/ VolleyballMB
/ VolleyballMB
/ Volleyball
S
/ Volleyball
DS/L
/ VolleyballUtes Open Pac-12 Play with 3-2 Win at #16 Colorado
9/21/2016 10:35 PM | Volleyball
Anae and Luafalemana register double-digit kills on the night
Tawnee Luafalemana's magnificent kill scores @UtahVolleyball's #12Best moment!https://t.co/5EV11Us24b
— Pac-12 Network (@Pac12Network) September 22, 2016
BOULDER, Colo. – The Utah Utes (10-2, 1-0) opened Pac-12 play with a thrilling five-set road victory, downing the No. 16-ranked Colorado Buffaloes (8-3, 0-1), 3-2 (25-18, 15-25, 21-25, 25-16, 20-18), Wednesday evening at Coors Events Center.
Utah Junior Adora Anae registered a match-high 27 kills and collected 16 digs for her ninth double-double of the season, all the while also managing to collect the 1,000th kill for her career in a Utah uniform. Anae becomes just the 17th player in school history to earn a membership into the elite 1,000-kill club.
Junior Tawnee Luafalemana registered 10 kills and matched a season-high with seven total blocks on the night. After Utah fell behind 2-1 in the match, Luafalemana teamed up with fellow junior Eliza Katoa on a block that sent the contest into a decisive fifth set. Meanwhile, Katoa posted a season-high nine kills and was credited with five total blocks on the evening.
Utah opened the night cruising to a 25-18 win in the first set. The Utes tallied 14 kills and a .244 hitting percentage, while limiting the Buffs to just 11 kills on .021 hitting in the frame.
Colorado countered though, winning the next two sets by scores of 25-15 and 25-21, while hitting .438 and .308 in the two frames, respectively. Utah was limited to hitting efforts of just .188 and .132, while going down 2-1 in the match to the home squad.
Utah built a 6-3 lead early in the fourth set with back-to-back kills from freshman Torre Glasker. A block from Luafalemana and a kill from Anae pushed Utah's lead to 15-8 and that forced Colorado to take a timeout. The Utes capped off a 7-0 run with yet another block from Luafalemana, which extended Utah's lead to 11 points, up 19-8.
Colorado would rally with a 5-1 run to get back within seven points, but Anae's 20th kill of the night, followed by Luafalemana's and Katoa's block pushed the match to a fifth set with Utah taking the frame 25-16.
Both teams traded points to open the fifth set before a 3-0 run gave the Utes an 8-5 advantage. With both teams trading sides of the net, Colorado managed to counter Utah's run with a 4-0 run of its own and take a 9-8 lead, which happened to be the very first lead change for either team on the evening.
Utah called a timeout and opened a 4-0 run with a block from sophomore Berkeley Oblad. Trailing 12-9, Colorado again came back with another run, this time scoring five of the next six points to take a 14-13 lead.
Down match point, Utah called its final timeout of the evening and then came out of the break with back-to-back kills from Anae. Her 25th kill of the match gave Utah a 15-14 advantage and it was the junior's 1,000th kill of her career.
Congrats to @anaealator, who records her 1000th career kill for the Utes! #GoUtes pic.twitter.com/WGs6a0MrUp
— Utah Volleyball (@UtahVolleyball) September 22, 2016
Colorado again countered, winning four of the next six points to go up match point, 18-17. Utah fought off the home court advantage though, as Anae registered a kill and Katoa followed with a kill to put Utah up match point, 19-18. Anae then put the match away with her 27th kill of the evening, giving Utah the 20-18 win and escaping Coors Events Center with another road victory.
"We really worked to fine-tune our offense there in the end," Anae said after the match. "We were getting really good passes and were able to execute on them there in the fifth set."
Utah matched its win total from all of last season, moving to 10-2 overall in 2016. The Utes also moved to 3-0 on the road this season – matching its road-win total from last season, while also winning three straight road games for the first time since a 3-0 stretch from Sept. 6-17, 2014. The win also snapped a four-match losing streak to the Buffs in Boulder.
Utah closed out the match hitting .242 in the fourth set and .244 in the fifth set, while finishing the evening hitting .211 as a team. The Utes have now posted better hitting percentages than all 12 of its opponents this season as Colorado finished the match hitting just .176.
Freshman Bailey Choy closed out the match with 39 assists and a career-high 17 digs for her fifth double-double of the season. Sophomore Jessie Openshaw registered 15 assists, while sophomore Megan Shughrou recorded a team-high 19 digs.
"Bailey has really stepped up when we have needed her most," said Anae. "She comes in this season as a true freshman and that is a lot on her plate already, but she has been dishing the ball equally to both the outside hitters and middle blockers. I could not do what I do without her effort."
Utah returns home this Saturday, Sept. 24, to host Arizona State in its Pac-12 home opener. First serve between the Utes and Sun Devils is set for 7 p.m. inside the Huntsman Center.
Get to know new Utah Volleyball Head Coach Alyssa D'Errico.
Wednesday, December 10
Utah Volleyball Press Conference - 12.10.25
Wednesday, December 10
ESPN+ Feature | Utah Volleyball's Leah Wilton-LaBoy
Thursday, November 20
ESPN+ Feature | Utah Volleyball's Devyn Weist
Thursday, November 06