#25 Utes Fall to #12 Bruins on Friday

Friday, September 30

Salt Lake City, Utah

6:00 PM

University of Utah

11-3, 2-1

UCLA

11-2, 2-1

UCLA

Utah

9/30/2016 8:25 PM | Volleyball

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Loss snaps Utah seven-match winning streak

SALT LAKE CITY – The #25 Utah Utes (11-3, 2-1) snapped a seven-match winning streak and dropped its first Pac-12 Conference match of the season in a three-set loss (23-25, 22-25, 20-25) to the #12 UCLA Bruins (11-2, 2-1) Friday evening at the Huntsman Center.

The Utes lost in straight sets for the first time this season and it also marks just the second home loss of the season.

UCLA out-hit the Utes .293 to .250 and recorded one more kill than the home squad (17 to 16) on the way to taking the first set, 25-23. Utah trailed by as many as eight points, but a 9-4 run, which included a pair of kills and a block from junior Tawnee Luafalemana, pulled the Utes back within three points at 23-20. UCLA won the next point to go up set point, but a 3-0 run got Utah back within a point. UCLA called a timeout and then won the next point on a service error to take the set.

Utah opened the second set going up 5-1 behind four consecutive blocks from Luafalemana, but UCLA would later go on a 4-0 run and a 5-1 run to retake the lead 18-14. Utah called timeout and managed to pull within a point (20-19). Junior Carly Trueman scored five of Utah's last six points in the set, but UCLA managed to take a 2-0 lead into the locker room after taking the frame 25-22.

The Utes never led in the third set, falling behind 8-5 and later 11-7 before chipping their way back into the set. Junior Adora Anae collected three of her 11 kills in a five-point span to make it a 15-11 set in favor of the Bruins. Sophomore Berkeley Oblad followed with a kill and block to get the Utes back within two, but UCLA countered with a 7-3 run to extend its lead to 22-16. Anae would get another kill to make it a four-point match, but UCLA's Jordan Anderson closed the set with her match-high 15th kill to give the Bruins the frame (25-20) and the match.

Anae led the Utes with her 11 kills, recording double-digit kills for the 13th time this season. Luafalemana finished with seven kills and a team-high five total blocks. Junior Eliza Katoa added seven kills and a team-best .412 hitting percentage.

Freshman Bailey Choy tallied 23 assists and sophomore Jessie Openshaw added 15 assists on the evening. Sophomore Megan Shughrou and Anae tied for the team-high with nine digs each.

UCLA finished the match hitting .304 as a team, while Utah managed to hit at a clip of .235. It was the first time this season that an opposing team had a better hitting percentage than the Utes.

The Utes will be back in action again tomorrow night, hosting #23-ranked USC. The Utes and Trojans are set to get underway at 7 p.m. inside the Huntsman Center.