Women's Volleyball | 9/24/2024 3:15:00 PM

Who | Utah Tech (6-4, 0-0 WAC) vs. Abilene Christian (5-6, 0-0 WAC)
When | Thursday, Sept. 26 – 6 p.m.
Where | Burns Arena - St. George, Utah
Social Media | Instagram + Twitter (X) + #UtahTechBlazers

Who | Utah Tech (6-4, 0-0 WAC) vs. Tarleton State (5-8, 0-0 WAC)
When | Saturday, Sept. 28 – 12 p.m.
Where | Burns Arena - St. George, Utah
Social Media | Instagram + Twitter (X) + #UtahTechBlazers

OPENING SERVE
Utah Tech gets its fifth season of WAC play underway this week hosting Abilene Christian and Tarleton State at Burns Arena.

The Trailblazers are coming off a pair of losses to Northern Arizona last week being swept at home on Thursday and falling in five sets on the road in Flagstaff on Saturday.

HOT START
The Trailblazers are off to their fourth start of 6-4 or better after 10 matches matching 2022 and being only bested by 2009 and 2018.
2024: 6-4        2018: 8-2
2022:  6-4        2009: 7-3

WAC PLAY
Utah Tech enters its fifth season in the WAC with a 24-36 overall mark in conference play and is coming off a 5-11 season in 2023 to finish ninth in the league. The Trailblazers are 1-3 in WAC openers with a sweep at home over Grand Canyon in 2022.
2023 - 5-11 - 9th        2021 - 6-8 - T-6th (West)
2022 - 5-9 - T-9th        Spring 2021 - 8-8 - T-4th

A LOOK AT ABILENE CHRISTIAN
The Wildcats have posted a 5-6 start to the season and are currently on a three-match winning streak winning a pair matches at home last week sweeping Alabama A&M and topped Oral Roberts in five sets.

ACU has also notched wins over Campbell, Holy Cross and Texas Southern and went 11-18 in 2023 while finishing eighth in the WAC with a 6-10 mark.

The Wildcats currently rank fifth in the WAC in opponent hitting percentage (.195), sixth in digs per set (13.51) and are seventh in aces per set (1.35), hitting percentage (.154) and kills per set (11.65).

Individually, senior outside hitter Bryley Steinhilber ranks fourth in the WAC in aces per set (0.41) and is seventh in kills per set (3.41). Senior setter Madeline Guffy leads ACU with 264 assists while sophomore middle blocker Hannah Gonzalez has tallied a team-leading 27.0 blocks.

SERIES HISTORY VS. ABILENE CHRISTIAN
The Trailblazers and Abilene Christian will play for the fifth time in series history with the series currently tied 2-2. ACU won a five-set battle in Abilene in the lone matchup between the two teams in 2023.

Utah Tech swept the Wildcats in St. George in 2022 & won in five sets in Abilene in 2021. ACU won the first meeting in 2008 with a sweep in Durango, Colo.

A LOOK AT TARLETON STATE
The Texans are off to a 5-8 start to the season coming into the weekend on a four-match winning streak. Playing at Southern Utah on Thursday, Tarleton topped Oral Roberts, Alcorn State, Houston Christian and Louisiana Monroe at home last weekend.

The Texans, who also have a win over New Mexico, lead the WAC in digs per set (16.40), kills (640), service aces (76) and digs (853).

Individually, senior Emma Halcomb leads the WAC in digs per set (3.88) and digs (202). Senior outside hitter Allison Bryant tops the league in kills (191) and attacks (543).

SERIES HISTORY VS. TARLETON STATE
The Trailblazers and Tarleton State have met six times in series history with the series tied 3-3. Utah Tech won the only contest in 2023 winning a five-set battle in Stephensville. 

The Texans won the previous two meetings winning in four sets in St. George in 2022 and swept the Trailblazers at home in 2021.

The pair split a pair of matches in the spring of 2021 in Texas while the Blazers won the first contest at home in four sets in 2018.

WAC RANKINGS
The Trailblazers lead the WAC in opponent hitting percentage (.174) while ranking third in blocks per set (2.33), kills per set (12.43) and total blocks (93.0).

Individually, Knudsen checks in fifth in the WAC in kills (145) and kills per set (3.63).

Newcomer Casidy Fried ranks third in blocks per set (1.21) and is fourth in blocks (47). Sophomore libero Mya Laufiso, who earned WAC Libero of the Week honors last week, is fifth in digs (133).

UP NEXT
The Trailblazers head out on the road next week traveling to Utah Valley (9-3, 0-0 WAC) on Oct. 3 and Southern Utah (4-7, 0-0 WAC) on Oct. 5.