Women's Volleyball | 8/28/2024 10:30:00 AM

Who | Utah Tech (0-0) vs. Denver (0-0) | at Weber State (0-0) | vs. Denver (0-0)
When | Friday, Aug. 30 – 10 a.m. | Friday, Aug. 30 – 3 p.m. | Saturday, Aug. 31 - 12:30 p.m.
Where | Swenson Gym - Ogden, Utah
Social Media | Instagram + Twitter (X) + #UtahTechBlazers

OPENING SERVE: Utah Tech is set to open the 2024 season this weekend with three matches played at the Weber State Wildcat Invitational. 

The Trailblazers will begin tournament play against Denver on Friday morning before an afternoon match up against host Weber State.

The tournament will wrap up on Saturday afternoon with one final contest against Denver.

ALL-TIME IN SEASON OPENERS: Over its 18-year NCAA era, Utah Tech is 7-11 all-time in season-opening matches (H: 2-1; A: 2-4; N: 3-6).

The Trailblazers will open the season with a neutral site match for the 11th time in its NCAA era on Friday when they square off against Denver. Later in the day, Utah Tech will play its first true road match of the season at Weber State.

The Trailblazers are 2-2 in season openers as a Division I member, including a 3-1 road victory at Northern Arizona in 2022 in Flagstaff.

The Blazers also posted a 3-0 sweep at in-state rival Southern Utah in the program's first-ever D-I match on Jan. 22, 2021.

A LOOK AT WEBER STATE & DENVER: Utah Tech is 0-2 against this weekend's tournament field, with both contests coming against Weber State as it will be the Trailblazers first meeting against Denver in program history.

The Trailblazers opened the 2023 season against the Wildcats falling in a five-set thriller to Weber State. Hannah Howard led the Trailblazers with 15 kills while Kennedi Knudsen tallied a double-double with 11 kills and 17 digs.

The two teams also met in the 2021 season with the Trailblazers stumbling in four sets at the BYU Invitational.    

Weber State posted a 21-10 overall record in 2023, which included an 11-5 mark and a fourth place finish in the Big Sky. The Wildcats defeated Montana State in five sets in the Big Sky Tournament final to earn a berth in the NCAA Tournament falling in straight sets to BYU.

The Wildcats ranked in the top five in the Big Sky in aces per set (1st - 1.76), service aces (2nd - 206), opponent hitting percentage (2nd - .179), blocks per set (3rd - 2.32), total blocks (3rd - 271.0), kills (4th - 1,474) and kills per set (5th - 12.60).

Junior middle blocker Brielle Rueckert ranked in the top 10 in hitting percentage (4th - .328) and blocks per set (9th - 0.99).

Denver posted a 14-12 record in 2023 with a 12-4 mark in the Summit, finishing in a four-way tie for first in the regular season with Kansas City, Omaha and South Dakota.

The Pioneers led the Summit League in aces per set (1.85) & blocks per set (2.44) and ranked second in hitting percentage (.232).

Other top rankings in the Summit saw top five marks in assists per set (3rd - 11.63), kills per set (12.54), service aces (4th - 178) and blocks (4th - 234.0).

Graduate student outside hitter Cassie Davis ranked first in the Summit in kills per set (3.60) & points per set (4.30) along with fourth in aces per set (0.38).

WAC PRESEASON POLL: The Trailblazers were selected seventh in the WAC Preseason Coaches' Poll racking up 22 points.

Grand Canyon was picked first collecting 60 points and four first-place votes while UT Arlington was second with 59 points and the remaining five first-place votes.

The poll was rounded out by Utah Valley (50 pts.), California Baptist (41 pts.), Tarleton State (35 pts.) and Abilene Christian (31 pts.) in third through sixth place.

After the Trailblazers was Southern Utah (19 pts.) and Seattle U (9 pts.) in eighth and ninth place to round out the poll.

2023 WAC RANKINGS: The Trailblazers ranked in the top five in the WAC in three categories in 2023.

Utah Tech checked in fourth in the WAC in opponent hitting percentage (.191) and ranked fifth in blocks per set (2.11) & service aces per set (1.48).

Kennedi Knudsen ranked seventh in kills per set averaging 3.10 and ninth in kills with 319.

KNUDSEN & SNOW IN THE RECORD BOOK: Knudsen finished in the top 10 in a single season in program history in kills (6th - 319), attacks (6th - 920) and kills per set (9th - 3.10).

Taylor Snow tied for fourth in solo blocks with 19 and finished with a total of 73 blocks on the season.

ON THE ROAD: Since joining the NCAA ranks in 2006, Utah Tech has recorded a 97-99 (.495) 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 39-51 (.433) record in neutral-site games, including a 2-2 mark this season.

COACHING STAFF: Camilla Hafoka (Oregon State, 2010; 27-44 overall record) is in her sixth season with the Trailblazer program, and her fourth season as head coach as Utah Tech begins its fifth NCAA Division I campaign.

During her time on the Trailblazer sidelines, Coach Hafoka helped lead the Trailblazers to a 56-50 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. The Blazers add a pair of first-year assistant coaches this season in Megan Treanor and Shairone Thompson.

EXHIBITION ACTION: The Trailblazers got a pair of tune ups prior to this weekend's action.

The Blazers hosted the Red vs. Navy Scrimmage at Burns Arena on Aug. 15 and traveled to Las Vegas last weekend for an exhibition contest at UNLV winning the opening two sets before dropping the final three sets to the Rebels.

UP NEXT: The Trailblazers stay on the road next week traveling to the Gonzaga Tournament facing Cal State Fullerton on Sept. 5 and Gonzaga on Sept. 6.