Women's Volleyball | 9/17/2025 12:30:00 PM

INTO THE BLUE INVITATIONAL
Who | Utah Tech (7-2) vs. Northern Colorado (2-7) | vs. Denver (6-3) | at Air Force (8-2)
When | Friday, Sept. 19 – 12 p.m. | Friday, Sept. 19 – 4 p.m. | Saturday, Sept. 20 - 11 a.m.
Where | Cadet East Gym - USAFA, Colo.
Social Media | Instagram + Twitter (X) + #UtahTechBlazers

OPENING SERVE
The Trailblazers close out non-conference tournament action this weekend at the Into the Blue Invitational taking on Northern Colorado, Denver and Air Force hosted by Air Force in the Cadet East Gym.

LOOK BACK AT THE BOISE STATE INVITATIONAL
Utah Tech tallied a 2-1 showing at the Boise State Invitational last weekend sweeping both Idaho State and San Francisco while being swept by host Boise State.

Senior outside hitter Kennedi Knudsen and senior middle blocker Taylor Snow earned All-Tournament honors.

Knudsen tallied 39 total kills and posted a double-double against Idaho State finishing with 15 kills and 12 digs while Snow posted 24 kills, 15 blocks, five service aces and three digs in the tournament.

NOT ONE, NOT TWO, BUT THREE TIMES!
For the third straight week, Knudsen earned the Jersey Mike's A Sub Above WAC Player of the Week honors for her performance at the Boise State Invitational.

After opening the tournament with a six-kill, eight-dig performance against Boise State, the WAC Preseason Player of the Year got hot in the final two matches of the weekend.

Notching her fourth double-double of the season against the Bengals, Knudsen tallied 15 kills and 12 digs and she closed out the tournament with 18 kills, four digs and two blocks against the Dons.

GLANCE AT THE NORTHERN COLORADO BEARS
Northern Colorado is off to a 2-7 start to the season with a pair of five-set wins over Washington and Colorado State on opening weekend at the UNC Classic in Greeley.

The Bears, who have dropped their last six contests, went 28-8 overall in 2024 and won the Big Sky regular season with a 14-2 mark.

UNC dropped the Big Sky Tournament Tournament final to Sacramento State before going 3-1 in the NIVC Tournament falling to Arizona in the semifinals.

The Bears lead the Big Sky in kills (457) and are second in assists (412) while ranking fourth in hitting percentage (.218) and total team attacks (1,165)

Individually, sophomore outside hitter Alayna Tessena ranks second in the Big Sky in kills (133) and is fourth in kills per set (3.50). Senior setter Mia Liddiard checks in fourth in the conference in assists per set (8.43).

GLANCE AT THE DENVER PIONEERS
Denver comes into this weekend's action with a 5-3 mark with wins over Loyola Marymount (3-2), Memphis (3-0), Texas Southern (3-0), Idaho State (3-0) and Arkansas (3-2).

The Pioneers posted a 13-15 mark in 2024 and finished sixth in The Summit League with a 7-9 mark.

As a team, DU sits third in the Summit in hitting percentage (.250), assists (366), kills (394) and total blocks (68.0).

Four Pioneers are each averaging over two kills per set and are led by senior opposite hitter Genevieve Lewis with 2.94 while defensively redshirt senior middle blocker Kate Perryman has a team-high 22.0 blocks.

GLANCE AT THE AIR FORCE FALCONS    
Air Force is off to an impressive 8-1 start to the season with its lone setback coming in a five-set battle last weekend at SIU Edwardsville.

Coming off a 3-26 record in 2024, the Falcons have blown right by that win total in 2025 and have posted sweeps over Seattle U, Wake Forest and Austin Peay.    

Sophomore setter Mia Loyd leads the MW in assists per set (10.34) and is second in assists (362) & service aces (16).

Senior outside hitter Ashley Bible checks in second in the conference in kills per set (3.48) and is third in points (132.5).

CLEANING UP
Entering action on Wednesday (Sept. 17), 65 Division I teams have posted seven or more wins this season.

Of those 65, only 13 have notched six or more sweeps in 2025 with the Trailblazers joined by Iowa State, Iowa, Indiana, Virginia Tech, UL Monroe, Providene, Boston College, Nicholls. UTEP, BYU, Colorado and Mississippi State.

WHERE UTAH TECH RANKS IN THE WAC IN 2025
As a team, the Trailblazers lead the WAC in assists per set (12.06), hitting percentage (.227), kills per set (13.32) & attacks per set (35.74) while ranking second in blocks per set (2.81), digs per set (14.16), total blocks (87.0) and opponent hitting percentage (.167).

Individually, Knudsen leads the WAC in kills per set (4.29), attacks per set (11.84), points per set (4.74) and is second in kills (133) & points (147.0).

Snow ranks second in the WAC in blocks per set (1.41) & is third in blocks (41) while Fried is third in blocks per set (1.26) & fifth in blocks (39).

RECORD WATCH
Knudsen enters this weekend's action only four kills shy of passing Alex Shearer (850, 2008-11) for the most career kills in program history in the NCAA era.

With 847 career kills in 62 matches as a Trailblazer, Knudsen has averaged 3.64 kills per set after passing Brita Jensen (824, 2009-12) and Megan Treanor (833, 2018-21) last weekend at the Boise State Invitational.

HITTING 1K
Junior setter Marley Roe became the eight Trailblazer in the NCAA era to hit the 1,000-career assist mark on Saturday in a sweep over San Francisco as she has posted 1,006 assists in 59 career contests.

STELLAR START
Off to a 7-2 start to the season, the Trailblazers have matched the 2018 team as the best start in program history after nine matches.

The 2018 team got off to an 11-2 start to the season on their way to a 22-6 overall record, tied for their most wins in a season in the NCAA era, along with 2014. 

ON THE ROAD
Since joining the NCAA ranks in 2006, Utah Tech has recorded a 102-108 (.486) record in true-road matches 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 47-53 (.470) record in neutral-site contests.

EARLY SEASON TOURNAMENT ACTION
The Trailblazers got the season started at the The Rebel Challenge sweeping CSUB and UNLV while dropping a five-set battle against Iowa.

The following weekend saw the Trailblazers add a pair of sweeps over Weber State and Charleston Southern along with a five-set win over Sacramento State at the Utah Tech Tournament.

Nana Asiata and Roe earned All-Tournament honors at the The Rebel Challenge while Mya Laufiso & Fried were tabbed All-Tournament accolades and Knudsen was named MVP of the Utah Tech Tournament.

2025 WAC TOURNAMENT SET FOR ABILENE
Heading into their final season in the WAC, the Trailblazers will play in their second straight WAC Tournament hosted by Abilene Christian on Nov. 20-22 as they look to punch a ticket to the NCAA Tournament.

A QUICK LOOK AT THE 2025 TRAILBLAZERS
Utah Tech returns seven starters and 12 total letter winners from last season's squad along with 2023 letter winner Sydney Reese (opposite hitter) and redshirt freshman defensive specialist/libero Mahealani Ikei.

With the returners split between four seniors, three juniors, five sophomores along with a pair of newcomers in freshmen, Alyia Worthen and Tehanie Waters, the Trailblazers are led by four seniors in Kennedi Knudsen (OH), Taylor Snow (MB), Casidy Fried (MB) and Kaycee Bugas (DS/L).

The three juniors are Tessa Treanor (OH), Marley Roe (S) and Mya Laufiso (L/DS) while the six sophomores are Langi, Reese, Ireland Avalos (S), Emery Harrison (OH), Kaleinani Watson (L/DS) and Nana Asiata (OPP).

GOING "BIG" IN 2026
On June 25, 2025, Utah Tech announced that it had accepted an invitation to join the Big Sky Conference beginning on July 1, 2026. 

A 10-member conference in 2025, the Big Sky will have 11 members in 2026 as the Trailblazers will be joined by Southern Utah as new conference members and Sacramento State will depart for the Big West.

Northern Colorado won the regular season in 2024 while Sacramento State, who the Trailblazers host on Sept. 6, won the tournament title. The Trailblazers will also face Big Sky opponents Weber State, Idaho State & Northern Colorado this season.

COACHING STAFF
Camilla Hafoka (Oregon State, 2010; 49-58 overall record) is in her seventh season overall with the Trailblazer program, and her fifth 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 73-73 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 her first season at the helm 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.     

Hafoka is joined on the UT sideline by second-year associate head coach Shairone Thompson along with assistant coach Whitnee Tupe who returns to the sideline for her third stint with the Trailblazers after stints from 2011-15 and 2019-23.

2024 RECAP
Utah Tech made its first WAC Tournament appearance in 2024 after finishing fourth in the conference with a 9-7 mark and 15-12 overall. The Trailblazers went 6-3 at home, 5-1 at neutral site and 4-8 on the road.

Knudsen earned First Team All-WAC honors while middle blocker Lusia Langi was tabbed to the WAC All-Freshman Team.

UP NEXT
The Trailblazers open WAC play next week traveling to Southern Utah (1-8) to take on the Thunderbirds on Sept. 25 at America First Event Center.