#16 Utes Open Pac-12 Play with Win over #25 Buffs

Friday, September 22

Salt Lake City, UT

7:00 PM

University of Utah

10-2, 1-0

Colorado

10-2, 0-1

Colorado

Utah

#16 Utes Open Pac-12 Play with Win over #25 Buffs

9/22/2017 11:02 PM | Volleyball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)Highlights Pac-12 Network Recap

Anae notches 20+ kills in the win

SALT LAKE CITY – The No. 16-ranked Utah Utes (10-2, 1-0) opened Pac-12 play with a four-set win (25-14, 16-25, 25-20, 25-17) over the No. 25-ranked Colorado Buffaloes (10-2, 0-1) Friday evening at the Huntsman Center.

Adora Anae recorded seven of Utah's 17 kills and the Utes ran away with the first set, 25-14. Both teams traded points early in the frame, but a 7-0 run pushed Utah's lead to 21-11 and the Utes never looked back, giving up just three points to the Buffs the remainder of the frame. Utah would hit .406, while limiting the Buffs to just a .133 effort.

CU jumped out to an 8-4 lead in the second set and later following a 3-1 run, Utah was forced to call a timeout. The Utes would win the next two points to get back within three, down 11-8, but that was the closest they would get as the Buffs took the second set, 25-16. Utah was limited to just 10 kills and Colorado totaled five blocks in the frame.

Both teams traded points to open the third frame, but Utah would later go on a 6-1 run to take a 13-7 lead and force the Buffs to call timeout. CU countered with a pair of points, but the Utes responded winning seven of the next 10 points to go up 20-12. Following a CU timeout, the Buffs would score five of the next eight points to get back into the set, but a kill from Dani Barton closed the set and gave the Utes the win, 25-20.

Utah looked to take an early 5-4 lead in the fourth set, but CU challenged the point and the call was reversed giving CU the point. Utah countered winning the next four points to take an 8-5 lead and forcing the Buffs to call timeout. Utah's 7-4 run pushed the lead to 15-10, leading the Buffs to call its final timeout of the set. After pushing its lead to 18-13, the Utes would give up the next two points, but then closed out the frame with a 7-2 run, which ended on Anae's 21^st kill of the evening.

Utah hit just .218 in the match – the squad's second-lowest output in a win this season – but, did manage to limit the visiting Buffs to hitting at just a clip of .144 on the evening. CU out-blocked the Utes 9.0 to 7.0, but Utah totaled 19 more digs (82 to 63) in the contest.

The Utes are back in action again on Sunday, Sept. 24, taking on California at the Huntsman Center. First serve is set for 2 p.m.

GAME NOTES
· Adora Anae was back in the starting line-up for the Utes on Friday. She finished with 21 kills and 13 digs, posting 20+ digs for the second this season (29^th of her career) and notching a double-double for the fifth time in 2017.
· Anae and CU's Alexa Smith came into the match ranked fourth and fifth in the league in kills, respectively. Smith finished the match with 11 kills.
· Dani Barton, Tawnee Luafalemana and Carly Trueman each finished the match with 10 kills apiece.
· Bailey Choy notched 40 assists and 13 digs for her fifth double-double of the season. Camryn Machado added a new season/career-high 13 assists.
· Luafalemana led the way with four total blocks. Brianna Doehrmann led the team with 14 digs, which marks a new season-high for the sophomore.
· Shannon Scully chipped in with 13 digs, giving Utah four players with 10+ digs on the evening.