Women's Volleyball | 9/23/2025 4:00:00 PM

Match #13
Who | Utah Tech (9-3) at Southern Utah (1-10)
When | Thursday, Sept. 25 – 6:30 p.m.
Where | America First Event Center - Cedar City, Utah
Social Media | Instagram + Twitter (X) + #UtahTechBlazers

OPENING SERVE
The Trailblazers open their sixth season in the WAC on Thursday night making the short trip to Southern Utah to take on the Thunderbirds at America First Event Center in Cedar City.

LOOK BACK AT THE INTO THE BLUE INVITATIONAL
The Trailblazers wrapped up non-conference action last weekend at the Into the Blue Invitational hosted by Air Force winning two of three matches defeating both Northern Colorado and Air Force in four sets and fell in a five-set heart breaker to Denver.

Utah Tech totaled 60 kills as a team while hitting .250 against the Bears, tallied a season-high 62 kills against the Pioneers and closed out the tournament versus the Falcons with a season-leading 71 digs.

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

Racking up 81 kills over three matches, she posted 28 and 20 kills, respectively, in wins over the Bears and Falcons.

Coming within one kill of her own program record for most kills in a single match notching 33 kills in a five-set battle against the Pioneers.

Overall in the tournament, Knudsen added 28 digs, eight assists, four blocks, pair of aces and hit .281 in the tournament.

GLANCE AT THE SOUTHERN UTAH THUNDERBIRDS
Southern Utah is out to a 1-10 start to the season with its lone win coming in a four-set win over UC San Diego on Sept. 12 at the Lumberjack Classic hosted by Northern Arizona.

The Thunderbirds have dropped four matches in five sets with narrow losses to Nevada, UC Riverside, Charleston Southern and Texas Tech.

Coming off a 10-18 overall record in 2024, SUU tied for sixth in the WAC last season with a 6-10 mark and fell to Utah Valley in the WAC Tournament.

The Thunderbirds rank third in the WAC in blocks per set (2.07) while ranking sixth in aces per set (1.20), kills per set (10.80) and blocks (91.0).

Individually, junior middle blocker Kaitlyn Aleshire sits seventh in the conference in blocks (46) and eighth in blocks per set (1.05).

Senior opposite hitter Victoria Zibecchi leads the team in kills per set (2.41) and total kills (106).

SERIES HISTORY VS. SOUTHERN UTAH
The Thunderbirds narrowly lead the all-time series over the Trailblazers, 5-4.

Utah Tech is 1-4 on the road at Southern Utah while going 3-1 at home

The Trailblazers' lone win in Cedar City came in its first match as a Division I member sweeping the Thunderbirds on Jan. 22, 2021, but have dropped their last four at SUU.

WINS PILING UP
Entering action on Tuesday (Sept. 23), 53 Division I teams have posted nine or more wins this season.

Of that group, 28 hail from a non-Power Four conference as the Trailblazers are the lone team from the WAC with nine or more wins.

TRAILBLAZERS IN WAC OPENERS
The Trailblazers are 2-3 in WAC openers with wins at home in 2021 over Grand Canyon (3-0) and 2024 against Abilene Christian (3-0).

This will only be the second time Utah Tech has opened WAC action on the road after opening WAC play at home each of the last four seasons. 

UT fell in four sets at New Mexico State in its first-ever WAC match in the spring of 2021.

WHERE UTAH TECH RANKS IN THE WAC IN 2025
As a team, the Trailblazers lead the WAC in assists per set (12.32), hitting percentage (.224), kills per set (13.45) & attacks per set (35.98) while ranking second in blocks per set (2.80 - 18th nationally), digs per set (14.32), total blocks (123.0 - 6th nationally) and opponent hitting percentage (.167).

Individually, Knudsen leads the WAC in kills (214 - 6th nationally), total attacks (559 - 6th nationally), points (232.0 - 8th nationally), kills per set (4.86 - 9th nationally), attacks per set (12.70 - 2nd nationally) and points per set (5.27 - 14th nationally).

Taylor Snow ranks second in the WAC in blocks per set (1.40) & third in blocks (59 - 17th nationally) while Casidy Fried is third in blocks per set (1.25) & fifth in blocks (55).

Mya Laufiso ranks fourth in the WAC in digs per set (3.84) and total digs (169).

KNUDSEN TOPS RECORD CHARTS
Knudsen became the all-time career leader in kills last weekend against Northern Colorado passing Alex Shearer (850, 2008-11) for the most kills in program history in the NCAA era.

With 928 career kills in 65 matches as a Trailblazer, Knudsen has averaged 3.77 kills per set and racked up 2,512 total attacks, marks both ranking second in program history.

HITTING 1K
Junior setter Marley Roe became the eight Trailblazer in the NCAA era to hit the 1,000-career assist mark in a sweep over San Francisco on Sept. 13.

She has recorded 1,091 career assists in 62 career matches and currently ranks eighth in program history.

STELLAR START
Off to a 9-3 start to the season, the Trailblazers have tied both the 2009 and 2013 teams for the second-best start through 12 matches in the NCAA era.

Only the 2018 team got off to a better start going 10-2 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 103-108 (.488) 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 48-54 (.471) 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.

The Trailblazers then traveled to the Boise State Invitational earning sweeps over Idaho State and San Francisco while falling in straight sets to Boise State.

Nana Asiata and Roe earned All-Tournament honors at the The Rebel Challenge while Laufiso, Fried were tabbed All-Tournament honors and Knudsen was named MVP of the tournament. Knudsen and Snow were tabbed All-Tournament selections in Boise.

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).

THAT'S A LOT BACK
The Trailblazers are the top WAC leading returners in kills (82.3, 1046/1271), service aces (90.3, 130/144), digs (91.2, 1329/1457) & blocks (84.3, 209.5/248.5) and return the third-most sets (76.4, 896/1173).

The only other WAC team to rank in the top three in all five categories is preseason WAC favorite Utah Valley while 2024 WAC regular season and tournament champion UT Arlington is in the bottom three in all five categories after many departures.

TRAILBLAZERS PICKED THIRD IN WAC PRESEASON POLL
The Trailblazers were selected third in the WAC Preseason Coaches' Poll released on Aug. 22 racking up 25 points and one first-place vote.

Utah Valley earned the top spot with 34 points and five first-place votes while 2024 WAC regular season and tournament champion UT Arlington was picked second with 29 points and the final first-place vote.

The poll was rounded out by California Baptist (21 pts.) in fourth, Abilene Christian (17 pts.) in fifth, Tarleton State (12 pts.) in sixth and Southern Utah (9 pts.) in seventh.

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 won the tournament title. The Trailblazers are 4-0 against Big Sky opponents this season and will host Northern Colorado on Oct. 28.

COACHING STAFF
Camilla Hafoka (Oregon State, 2010; 51-59 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.

UP NEXT
The Trailblazers open the month of October at home next week hosting California Baptist (4-8) on Oct. 2 and Utah Valley (4-8) for the Pink Game on Oct. 4.