Women's Volleyball | 11/5/2024 12:45:00 PM

Match #23
Who | Utah Tech (15-7, 9-3 WAC) at Grand Canyon (16-8, 9-3 WAC)
When | Thursday, Nov. 7 – 6 p.m. MT
Where | Global Credit Union Arena - Phoenix, Ariz.
Social Media | Instagram + Twitter (X) + #UtahTechBlazers

Match #24
Who | Utah Tech (15-7, 9-3 WAC) at California Baptist (4-20, 4-8 WAC)
When | Saturday, Nov. 9 – 2 p.m. MT
Where | Van Dyne Gymnasium - Riverside, Calif.
Social Media | Instagram + Twitter (X) + #UtahTechBlazers

OPENING SERVE
Utah Tech enters the week on a five-match winning streak after winning a pair of home matches last week.

The Trailblazers earned their ninth sweep of the season on Thursday over Seattle U, 25-17, 25-12, 25-18 hitting a season-best .469 as a team and got 18 kills from Kennedi Knudsen.  

Two days later, the Trailblazers hosted Utah Valley for Senior Night and won a five-set thriller over the Wolverines winning the first two sets before staving off a late rally by UVU for a 16-14 set five win.

Knudsen set a single match program record with 34 kills while hitting .355 adding seven digs, four service aces, two assists and a pair of blocks.

The Trailblazers tallied their third-most kills in a match in the NCAA era with 72 along with the second-most assists with 69.

STREAKING
UT is currently on a five-match winning streak, its longest since 2019, as well as being the season with the most wins in recent history with 20.

DOUBLE DIGIT WIN SEASONS
For the second time in the Trailblazers' five seasons in Division I, Utah Tech has 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.

WAC STANDINGS
The Trailblazers enter the week in a tie for second in the WAC with Grand Canyon posting a 9-3 conference mark.

UT Arlington currently leads the WAC at 12-0 as all three teams have four regular season matches remaining. 

WAC TOURNAMENT
With its win over Seattle U last week, the Trailblazers clinched a berth in the WAC Tournament. Set for Nov. 21-23 in Arlington, Texas, the top eight teams in the final regular season standings qualify for postseason play with the winner earning an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament.

WAC RANKINGS
As a team, the Trailblazers rank second in the WAC in opponent hitting percentage (.160) & sit third in blocks per set (2.60), digs per set (14.15), hitting percentage (.212), kills per set (12.72) and total blocks (213.5).

Individually, junior Casidy Fried is a stalwart at the net registering second in blocks per set (1.46) and third in total blocks (118.0).

Knudsen, who has led the Trailblazers in kills in 20 of 22 matches this season, ranks fourth in the conference in kills (324) and fifth in kills per set (3.95).

Laufiso checks in sixth in the WAC in digs (301) and has led the Blazers in digs in 15 matches.

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

KNUDSEN NAMED WAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK ON OCT. 30
Helping the Trailblazers earn a pair of wins in Texas, Knudsen paced the Blazers with 20 kills in a sweep over Abilene Christian on Oct. 24 and tallied a team-leading 11 kills against Tarleton State on Oct. 26.

Hitting a combined .301 in the pair of matches, Knudsen recorded a robust .400 against ACU and added six blocks on the week with four against ACU and two more against Tarleton.

Knudsen recorded the most kills (20) in a three-set match by a WAC player and tied for the most points (22) in a three-set match by a conference player this season and notched her highest hitting percentage in a match, with a minimum 30 attacks, on the season with a .400 hitting percentage against ACU.

HOWARD MOVING UP THE RANKS
Redshirt senior opposite hitter Hannah Howard continues to ascend in the career ranks in both kills (713 - 4th) and attacks (2,046 - 6th) this season.

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

She also recently moved into the top 10 in sets played with 317 sets played to rank ninth in program history.

A LOOK AT GRAND CANYON
The Lopes are 16-8 overall on the season with a 9-3 mark in the WAC sitting in a tie for second in the conference with the Blazers.  

The Lopes, who are 7-4 at home this season, are on a three-match winning streak and rank second in the WAC in aces per set (1.68), blocks per set (2.71), digs per set (14.87), hitting percentage (.227), digs (1,353), service aces (153), total blocks (247.0) and total attacks (3,209).

Individually, junior outside hitter Tatum Parrott has been a dominant force leading the WAC in attacks per set (11.95), is second in kills per set (4.27) and is fifth in kills (320).

SERIES HISTORY VS. GRAND CANYON
The Blazers and Lopes have met 24 times with Grand Canyon leading 16-8.

The Lopes, who defeated the Trailblazers in four sets in St. George on Oct. 10, have dropped five straight matches to GCU with its last win coming at home in 2021.

The Trailblazers are 3-10 at Grand Canyon with a pair of wins in 2010 and one more in 2007. 

A LOOK AT CALIFORNIA BAPTIST
The Lancers are 4-20 overall on the season and 4-8 in the WAC, sitting sixth in the conference.

CBU, who is 3-9 at home this season, have home wins over Seattle U, Southern Utah and Utah Valley and a road win at Tarleton on Oct. 31.

CBU ranks fifth in the WAC in service aces (130) and total team attacks (2,947) and are sixth in aces per set (1.51), blocks per set (1.88) and total blocks (161.5).   

Individually, senior outside hitter Mia Jerue ranks second in aces per set (0.42), third in aces (36) and seventh in digs (258).

Graduate student middle blocker Gilliland checks in second in hitting percentage (.334) and sixth in total blocks (82.0).

SERIES HISTORY VS. CALIFORNIA BAPTIST
The Trailblazers and Lancers have met 23 times in series history with California Baptist leading 15-8.

The Blazers, who swept the Lancers at home on Oct. 12, are 1-8 in Riverside against CBU with its lone win coming in four sets in 2021.

UP NEXT
The Trailblazers close out the regular season next week traveling to Seattle U (5-17, 3-9 WAC) on Nov. 14 and hosting UT Arlington (22-2, 12-0 WAC) on Nov. 16.