Women's Volleyball | 10/7/2026 11:00:00 AM

MATCHES #15 & 16
Who | Utah Tech (11-3, 4-0 Big Sky) vs. Weber State (9-5, 2-2 Big Sky) | vs. Idaho State (12-4, 4-0 Big Sky)
When | Thursday, Oct. 8 - 6 p.m. | Saturday , Oct. 10 - 12 p.m.
Where | Burns Arena - St. George, Utah
Social Media | Instagram + Twitter (X) + #UtahTechBlazers

OPENING SERVE
Utah Tech wraps up its season-long homestand this week hosting Weber State on Thursday night and Idaho State on Saturday afternoon in Burns Arena.

TRAILBLAZERS PUSH WINNING STREAK TO EIGHT IN A ROW
The Trailblazers extended their winning streak to eight, their longest in the Division I era, last Thursday with a four-set win at home over Northern Colorado winning the opening set, 25-23 before dropping the second set, 28-30, and took third & fourth sets, 25-22 & 25-20.

Two days earlier, the Trailblazers defeated Southern Utah in four sets for their fifth straight win over the Thunderbirds.

The Trailblazers won the first two sets, 25-18 & 25-21, dropped set three narrowly, 23-25 & took the final fourth set, 25-18 to win their Big Sky home opener.

SHIMADA EARNS BIG SKY CO-DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Shimada earned the Trailblazers first Big Sky Defensive Player of the Week honor leading the team in blocks in four-set wins over Southern Utah and Northern Colorado.

She notched six blocks, including three solo blocks, on Tuesday in a win over the Thunderbirds and added a season-high 11 blocks on Thursday against the Bears.

TRAILBLAZERS WINNERS OF 13 STRAIGHT & 17 OF LAST 18 IN BURNS ARENA
The Trailblazers have won 13 straight home matches after winning their first four contests this season and completed their first-ever perfect home record in program history in 2025 finishing 9-0.

UT has won 17 of their last 18 home matches dating back to Oct. 12, 2024 against California Baptist with their lone loss in that stretch coming in the 2024 regular season finale against UT Arlington.

FIRST RPI RELEASED ON MONDAY
The Trailblazers were tabbed No. 106 in the initial RPI rankings released on Monday as they were the second-highest ranked team in the Big Sky behind Idaho State (82).

All three opponents who have defeated the Trailblazers, Utah (26), LMU (42) and Hawaii (44), all rank in the top 45 in the RPI.

The Trailblazers have defeated four opponents, Oregon State (159), UC San Diego (189), Northern Arizona (194) & Northern Colorado (195), in the top 200.

STRONG START TO BIG SKY PLAY
The Trailblazers along with Idaho State are the lone remaining undefeated teams in Big Sky play at 4-0.

With the Bengals playing at Southern Utah and the Trailblazers hosting the Wildcats on Thursday night, the two teams will meet on Saturday afternoon with the top spot in the Big Sky on the line.

It is the second straight season the Trailblazers have started conference play with a 4-0 or better mark after starting 2025 with a 5-0 mark.

With a pair of wins this week, the Trailblazers will be off to their best start in conference play in the Division I era and their best conference start since an 8-0 start to PacWest play in 2016.

GLANCE AT THE WEBER STATE WILDCATS
Weber State is 9-5 on the season and tied for fifth in the Big Sky with a 2-2 mark in conference play with four-set wins over Idaho & Portland State.

The Wildcats, who were picked fifth in the Big Sky preseason poll, went 7-4 in non-conference play winning their first four matches of the season.

Coming off an 18-12 overall record in 2025, the Wildcats went 9-7 in Big Sky action and made the Big Sky tournament semifinals.

The Wildcats are second in the conference in blocks per set (2.66) & hitting percentage (.247), fourth in aces per set (1.42) and fifth in kills per set (12.18).

Individually, sophomore Ziya Munyer leads the Big Sky in hitting percentage (.414), blocks per set (1.46) & blocks (79) while senior opposite hitter Rose Moore is second in kills per set (3.69).

GLANCE AT THE IDAHO STATE BENGALS
Idaho State is 12-4 overall on the season and a perfect 4-0 in Big Sky play  with wins over Idaho, Eastern Washington, Northern Arizona & Portland State.

Picked to finish in a tie for third in the Big Sky preseason poll, the Bengals went 13-18 last season and advanced to the final of the Big Sky tournament as the number eight seed.

ISU leads the Big Sky and the nation in digs per set (17.95) and also tops the conference in attacks per set (38.32) & ranks second in digs (1,023) & opponent hitting percentage (.160).

Senior middle blocker Jaydin Watts is second in the Big Sky in blocks per set (1.33) & hitting percentage (.391) and is third in blocks (76) and freshman libero Aspen Boice leads the conference in digs per set (4.77) & is second in digs (267).

SERIES HISTORY VS. WEBER STATE & IDAHO STATE
This will be the fifth meeting between the Trailblazers and Wildcats with Utah Tech sweeping their last meeting in 2025 in the Trailblazers' home opener last season.

The Trailblazers are 2-0 all-time against Idaho State with wins in 2025 & 2022.

Utah Tech swept the Bengals in Boise last season and took down ISU in five sets at home in 2022.

WHERE THE TRAILBLAZERS RANK IN BIG SKY/NCAA IN 2026
As a team, the Trailblazers lead the Big Sky in assists per set (12.20) & kills per set (13.44), rank second in attacks per set (37.66 - 11th in nation) & digs per set (15.82 - 22nd in nation).

The Trailblazers are fourth in hitting percentage (.221) & opponent hitting percentage (.164 - 23rd in nation).

Shaylee Dahle is second in the Big Sky in hitting percentage (.393) while Nana Asiata is fifth in the conference in kills per set (3.16).

Tessa Treanor is tied for third in the league in service aces per set (0.46) & tied for third in aces (23).

Mya Laufiso is eighth in the Big Sky in digs per set (3.76) and the duo of Shimada (1.24) & Lusia Langi (1.04) are third & eighth in blocks per set, respectively.

SWEEPS ON SWEEPS
After notching 13 sweeps last season, tying for the second-most sweeps in a season in the NCAA era, the Trailblazers already have six sweeps this season, including five in a row from Sept. 11 through Sept. 24.

EARLY SEASON TOURNAMENT HONORS

• Utah Valley Invitational
  • Asiata - All-Tournament Team
  • Treanor - All-Tournament Team
• OUTRIGGER Invitational
  • Asiata - All-Tournament Team
• UC Irvine Invitational
  • Treanor - Co-MVP
  • Laufiso - All-Tournament Team
• Utah Tech Tournament
  • Dahle - MVP
  • Asiata - All-Tournament Team
  • Marley Roe - All-Tournament Team

UP NEXT
The Trailblazers head out on the road next week traveling to Montana to take on Montana State (10-5, 3-1) on Oct. 15 and Montana (5-10, 1-3) on Oct. 17.