Women's Volleyball | 11/19/2024 10:00:00 AM

Match #27 - WAC Tournament Quarterfinals
Who | Utah Tech (15-11, 9-7 WAC) vs. California Baptist (7-21, 7-9 WAC)
When | Thursday, Nov. 21 – 3 p.m. MT
Where | College Park Center - Arlington, Texas
Social Media | Instagram + Twitter (X) + #UtahTechBlazers

OPENING SERVE
Utah Tech closed out the regular season last week falling at Seattle U on Thursday and at home on Saturday against UT Arlington.

The Trailblazers were swept in both matches against the Redhawks and Mavericks, but fought tough in each match.

The Blazers were led against the Redhawks by Kennedi Knudsen with a double-double finishing with a team-high 14 kills along with 12 digs.

Two days later, UT faced WAC regular season champion UT Arlington. The Trailblazers were led with seven kills apiece by a trio of Hannah Howard, Tessa Treanor and Knudsen. Mya Laufiso added a team-leading 17 digs and Marley Roe chipped in a team-high 17 assists.

HOME COOKING
The Trailblazers finished the season with a 6-3 home record, its most home wins since also winning six in the spring 2021 season.

Utah Tech also recorded three home sweeps, its most in a season since notching five in the spring 2021 season.

FOURTH IN THE WAC STANDINGS
The Trailblazers finished fourth in the WAC regular season standings. It was tied for the the highest conference finish for Utah Tech in its five seasons in the WAC and Division I as the spring 2021 team tied for fourth with Tarleton State.       

UT Arlington won the regular season crown going a perfect 16-0 in conference while Grand Canyon (11-5) was second and Utah Valley (10-6) was third.

The rest of the conference saw California Baptist (7-9) come in fifth, Southern Utah and Seattle U (6-10) tie for sixth, Abilene Christian (5-11) in eighth and Tarleton State (2-14) round out the standings in ninth.

FIRST WAC TOURNAMENT APPEARANCE
This will be Utah Tech's first trip to the WAC Tournament after not being eligible in its first two seasons in the conference and missing the last two tournaments.

Utah Tech's last appearance at a conference tournament came in 2019 at the RMAC Tournament defeating CSU-Pueblo in the quarterfinals before falling to MSU Denver in the semifinals

DOUBLE DIGIT WIN SEASONS
For the second time in the Trailblazers' five seasons in Division I, Utah Tech reached double digit wins with 15 victories.

It is Utah Tech's winningest season in the Division I era, surpassing the 11 wins the Blazers tallied in 2022.

The Trailblazers' 15 wins this season are their most in a season since winning 20 matches in 2019.

WHERE UT STACKS UP IN THE WAC 
As a team, the Trailblazers rank second in the WAC in opponent hitting percentage (.174) while siting third in assists per set (11.82), blocks per set (2.55), digs per set (14.56), kills per set (12.81) and total blocks (244.5).

Individually, junior Casidy Fried has been a stalwart at the net ranking third in the WAC in blocks per set (1.46) & is fourth in total blocks (139.0), marks that rank top 15 nationally in both categories.

Knudsen, who has earned WAC Player of the Week honors twice this season, led or tied for the team lead in kills in 23 of 26 matches this season. She ranks fourth in the conference in kills (379) and is fifth in kills per set (3.95). 

Laufiso checks in sixth in the WAC in digs (349) and has led the Blazers in digs in 17 matches.

SWEEPS ON SWEEPS
The Trailblazers have notched nine sweeps so far this season, their most since posting 11 in 2018.

KNUDSEN SETS SINGLE SEASON KILL RECORD
Knudsen set the Utah Tech program record for most kills in a single season on Saturday in the regular season finale against UT Arlington.

She enters the WAC Tournament with 379 kills on the season to surpass the previous-best mark of 376 kills set by Cami Johnson in 2007.

In addition, her 3.95 kills per set ranks second in a single season while her 992 total attacks are fifth-most in a single season.

In the Trailblazers' five-set win over Utah Valley on Nov. 2, Knudsen set the single match record for kills with 34.

FRIED IS A BLOCKING MACHINE
Fried has been a blocking machine for the Trailblazers in her first season at Utah Tech.

She ranks top five in a single season ranking second in total blocks (139), third in block assists (119) and fourth in solo blocks (20).

HOWARD ASCENDING UP THE RANKS
Redshirt senior opposite hitter Hannah Howard continues to ascend in the career ranks in both kills (745 - 4th) and attacks (2,144 - 4th) this season.

Howard has tallied double-digit kills in eight contests with a season-high 15 against Utah Valley on Senior Night on Nov. 2. 

She also ranks in a tie for seventh all-time in sets played with 331 sets under her belt and is only five shy of sixth place (336) and eight away from a tie for the fourth-most (339).

TRAILBLAZERS MOVING UP THE SEASON RANKS
As a team, Utah Tech has racked up the fourth-most blocks in a season (244.5) while tying for fourth in block assists (413).

The Trailblazers are also top 10 in assists per set (6th - 11.82), kills per set (7th - 12.81), hitting percentage (7th - .208), assists (9th - 1135) and kills (9th - 1230).

A LOOK AT CALIFORNIA BAPTIST
The Lancers finished the regular season with a 7-21 overall record and 7-9 mark in the WAC to finish fifth.

CBU closed out the season strong going 6-2 in its last eight matches and won its final three matches to end the regular season defeating the Trailblazers, Grand Canyon and Abilene Christian. 

CBU ranks third in the WAC in service aces (168), aces per set (1.65), fourth in digs (1.412), and are fifth in hitting percentage (.187) and total team attacks (3,505).

Individually, senior outside hitter Mia Jerue ranks second in aces per set (0.48) and service aces (49).

Graduate student middle blocker Madison Gilliland checks in second in hitting percentage (.331) and sixth in total blocks (97.0).

SERIES HISTORY VS. CALIFORNIA BAPTIST
The Trailblazers and Lancers have met 24 times in series history with California Baptist leading 16-8.

The Blazers swept the Lancers at home on Oct. 12 winning sets, 25-23, 25-21, 25-15. Knudsen and Treanor each had a team-leading eight kills apiece while Laufiso had a team-leading 15 digs. UT hit .181 in the match and led CBU in blocks (11-6).

The Lancers won in four sets in Riverside on Nov. 9 despite the Blazers leading in hitting percentage (.276-.247).

NON-CONFERENCE ACTION
The Trailblazers went 6-4 in non-conference action with Knudsen earning MVP honors at both the season-opening Weber State Invitational and the Gonzaga Tournament.

Knudsen along with Taylor Snow earned All-Tournament honors at the College of Charleston Invitational.

Howard, Laufiso and Nana Asiata collected All-Tournament honors at the Weber State Invitational. The following weekend saw Knudsen, Tessa Treanor and Snow earn All-Tournament honors at the Gonzaga Tournament.

ON THE ROAD
Since joining the NCAA ranks in 2006, Utah Tech has recorded a 101-107 (.486) record in true-road games and has logged a winning record on the road nine times (2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019).

Additionally, the Trailblazers have posted a 44-51 (.463) record in neutral-site games with a perfect 5-0 mark in 2024.

COACHING STAFF
Camilla Hafoka (Oregon State, 2010; 42-55 overall record) is in her sixth season overall with the Trailblazer program, and her fourth season as head coach as Utah Tech is in its fifth NCAA Division I campaign.

During her time on the Trailblazer sidelines, Coach Hafoka has helped lead the Trailblazers to a 69-67 overall record. In her first season as an assistant coach, the program played to a 20-8 overall record in the program's final year of NCAA Division II competition.

In spring of 2021, Hafoka helped guide the team to a 9-8 overall mark in its debut NCAA Division I season, which included an 8-8 mark (T-4th) in its first season in the Western Athletic Conference. The Blazers then played to a 7-15 mark during Hafoka's first season at the helm in the fall of 2021, though they managed to improve by four victories with an 11-12 record (5-9 WAC) during the 2022 campaign.

The Trailblazers went 9-17 (5-11 WAC) in 2023 finishing ninth in the conference while freshman Adee Butler earned WAC All-Freshman Team honors.

Hafoka is joined on the UT sideline by second-year assistant coach Abigail Shaffer and a pair of first-year assistant coaches in Megan Treanor and Shairone Thompson.

A QUICK LOOK AT THE 2024 TRAILBLAZERS
Utah Tech returns three starters and nine total letter winners from last season's squad.

With only one senior on the roster, fifth-year opposite hitter Hannah Howard, the Trailblazers bring back a blend of experience while mixing in eight newcomers.

Howard is coming off playing in all 26 matches in 2023 and enters her fifth season as a Trailblazer with a career totals of 66 matches played, 236 sets played, 534 kills, 193 digs and 86 blocks (11 solo).

Four juniors return in outside hitter Kennedi Knudsen (319 kills/230 digs/37 blocks/18 service aces), middle blocker Taylor Snow (153 kills/73 blocks), libero Kaycee Bugas (37 digs) and setter Meg Carter (80 assists/22 digs).

Four more sophomores round out the Trailblazers' nine returners with WAC All-Freshman Team selection Adee Butler (110 kills/46 digs/7 blocks), libero Mya Laufiso (27 service aces/205 digs/45 assists), setter Marley Roe (277 assists/132 digs/13 service aces) and opposite hitter Elise West (32 kills/36 blocks/20 digs).

With eight newcomers set to join the fold this fall, the Trailblazers welcome three transfers with all three coming from programs in Utah. 

Sophomore outside hitter Tessa Treanor, sister of assistant coach Megan Treanor, arrives from Salt Lake Community College. Redshirt freshman opposite hitter Nana Asiata adds to the depth in the frontcourt after redshirting her first season at Weber State in 2023. Junior middle blocker Casidy Fried rounds out the transfer class after coming in from Utah State-Eastern where she was a two-time All-Region selection.

Five true freshmen close out the roster with the newcomers hailing from four different states and spread out among four different positions.

Hailing from Kyle, Texas, middle blocker Lusia Langi earned AVCA All-American honors as a prep and holds the Hays High School school record for the all-time career blocks record (359), most career solo blocks (91) and most career block assists (268).

Setter Ireland Avalos arrives from Chandler, Ariz. after helping Perry High School to the Arizona 6A State Final last fall. Nearby product Emery Harrison, an outside hitter from Cedar City, earned First Team 4A All-State honors in 2023 and joined the Trailblazers in the spring.

The final two freshmen additions are a pair of defensive specialist/liberos Mahealani Ikei and Kaleinani Watson. Ikei arrives from Scottsdale, Ariz. and Saguaro High School where she tallied over 300 digs as a senior in 2023. 

Watson comes in from Kapolei, Hawai'i where she earned all-state honorable mention honors as a senior at Kamehameha Kaplama High School.

UP NEXT
The winner of the WAC Tournament will earn the conference's automatic bid to NCAA Tournament set to start on Dec. 5.