MATCH WEEK
Utah Beach Volleyball is set to host its sole home match of the season this Wednesday, Apr. 12, welcoming Salt Lake Community College to the Lassonde Courts. The Utes will play SLCC at 1:30 p.m. MT. Utah fans can find the Lassonde Courts on the north side of the Lassonde Dorms and the west side of the McCarthy Track and Field. Admission is free.
Then, Utah heads to Tempe, Ariz., to take on Arizona State, Grand Canyon, Park University and Ottawa. Utah opens competition on Friday, Apr. 14, against Arizona State at 10 a.m. MT and closes out the day against Park University at 2 p.m. MT. On Saturday, Apr. 15, Utah plays Ottawa at 11 a.m. MT before closing out the regular season against Grand Canyon at 1 p.m. MT.
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QUICK HITS
• Utah played 14-straight matches in the state of California in a two-week stretch during March.
• Utah has played seven teams ranked in the top-20, and has at least one more opponent ranked in the top-20 scheduled to play in the regular season.
• Amaya Messier andÂ
Katie McAlister, along withÂ
Savannah Cottam andÂ
Sonja Wessel lead the team with 11 wins each as a pair.Â
Sydney Jacinto andÂ
Kylie Pitzak have totaled nine wins.
AT THE TOP
SophomoreÂ
Amaya Messier and freshmanÂ
Katie McAlister have held down the top spot for the Utes in all but two matches this season and have earned 11 wins on court one, which is tied for the most wins on the team. The Ute duo earned Utah's sole dual point against UC Davis after taking a competitive three-set win, while they also earned a key win over Santa Clara's top duo to guide the Utes to a 3-2 victory. The top pair for Utah picked up their first Pac-12 victory against Arizona State as well, winning 21-16, 21-17. McAlister and Messier also earned a three-set win (21-23,21-17, 15-11) over Texas' top pair to clinch the 3-2 victory for the Utes. The Ute duo is coming off a 3-1 weekend in Boise where the pair took both matches against Boise State's top pair, as well as a win over Arizona Christian.
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STEADY AS SONJA & SAV
Utah's lineup has received 11 wins from the duo of sophomoreÂ
Sonja Wessel and freshmanÂ
Savannah Cottam between courts four and five. The pair got off to a hot start after winning four straight matches to start the season, which included Utah's only dual point against Louisiana Monroe in a three-set battle. The pair for Utah clinched the dual match against Santa Clara (3-2) with a 21-19, 21-19 victory to highlight the season. Additionally, Cottam and Wessel earned a hard-fought win over Saint Mary's fifth pairing also in three sets, winning 14-21, 21-17, 15-11. Cottam and Wessel earned a three-set win over Texas' fourth pair to help guide Utah to the 3-2 victory, while they also picked up a 21-19, 21-17 win against #13 Long Beach State's #4 duo.
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LAST TIME OUT
Utah faced stiff competition at the Pac-12 North Invitational last weekend, where it played #2 USC, #13 Washington, Arizona and Oregon. The Utes fell to USC, Washington and Arizona, but earned revenge against Oregon after falling to the Ducks the week before. Utah defeated Oregon this time around 4-1 after taking courts two, three, and five in straight sets, while Messier and McAlister finished the fourth point with a three-set win on court one.
UP NEXT
Utah begins the postseason at the 2023 Pac-12 Championships on Wednesday, Apr. 26, in Stanford, Calif. The brackets will be released at the start of the week and will determine who Utah will play and when in the opening round.
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