Women's Volleyball | 8/26/2026 2:00:00 PM

UTAH VALLEY INVITATIONAL
Who | Utah Tech (0-0) at Utah Valley (0-0) | vs. Oregon State (0-0) | vs. Utah (0-0)
When | Friday, Aug. 28 – 11 a.m. | Friday, Aug. 28 – 4 p.m. | Saturday, Aug. 29 - 1 p.m.
Where | Lockhart Arena - Orem, Utah
Social Media | Instagram + Twitter (X) + #UtahTechBlazers

OPENING SERVE
Utah Tech opens the 2026 season this weekend with three matches at the Utah Valley Invitational at Lockhart Arena.

The Trailblazers will play a pair of games on Friday taking on host Utah Valley in the morning before taking on Pac-12 foe Oregon State in the afternoon.

The tournament closes out on Saturday afternoon against Big 12 opponent Utah.

ALL-TIME IN SEASON & ROAD OPENERS
Over its 20-year NCAA era, Utah Tech is 9-11 all-time in season-opening matches (H: 2-1; A: 2-4; N: 5-6).

The Trailblazers are 4-2 in season openers as a Division I member with wins on the road over Southern Utah (3-0) in the spring of 2021, at Northern Arizona (3-1) in 2022, won a five-set battle over Denver (3-2) at Weber State in 2024 and swept CSU Bakersfield at The Rebel Challenge last season.

The Trailblazers are 3-3 in road openers in the Division I era sweeping UNLV last season and are 9-11 overall in road openers in the NCAA era.

GLANCE AT THE UTAH VALLEY WOLVERINES
Utah Valley is coming off a 16-11 overall record in 2025 tying with the Trailblazers for the WAC regular season title and claimed the WAC tournament title with a five-set win over Utah Tech in the championship match.

Falling to Stanford in four sets in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament, the Wolverines were picked fourth in the Big West preseason poll earning one first-place vote.

UVU is led by the senior duo of libero Lani Toutai (342 digs - 5th in WAC) and senior setter Evalyn Medaris (687 assists - 3rd in WAC).

Head coach Sam Atoa enters his 28th season at Utah Valley with a career record of 516-321.

GLANCE AT THE OREGON STATE BEAVERS
Oregon State had a strong season in 2025 finishing 19-9 overall and 13-5 in WCC play to finish third in conference play.

The Beavers were selected second in the Pac-12 preseason poll released on Tuesday and its 19-win season in 2025 was just Oregon State's fourth season with 18 or more wins since 1996.

Three Beavers were selected to the Pac-12 impact list in outside hitter AC Froehlich (LSU transfer), middle blocker Alana Marrs (2025 WCC Freshman of the Year, 220 kills & 104.0 blocks) and opposite hitter Taylor Treahy (George Washington transfer).

The Beavers are led by fourth-year head coach Lindsey Behonick, who is 40-38 in her three seasons with the Beavers.

GLANCE AT THE UTAH UTES
Utah posted a 15-15 overall mark in 2025 and tied with Cincinnati for 11th in the Big 12 regular season standings last season with a 7-11 record.

The Utes qualified for the NCAA Tournament falling in the opening round in five sets to Northern Iowa in Omaha.

Picked to finish eighth in this year's Big 12 preseason poll released on Aug. 11, senior outside hitter Kamryn Gibadlo was named to the Big 12 preseason team after being named to the All-Big 12 First Team last season.

Alyssa D'Errico enters her first season as the head coach after the retirement of Beth Launiere after 36 seasons leading the Utes.

SERIES HISTORY VS. UTAH VALLEY/OREGON STATE & UTAH
The first-ever meetings against Oregon State and Utah, this will be the Trailblazers and Wolverines 15th meeting after meeting 13 times over the last six seasons as members of the WAC.

Meeting twice each season from the spring of 2021 through 2024, the two teams squared off three times last season with the Trailblazers downing the Wolverines in four sets at home, were swept on the road and dropped a five-set battle in the WAC Tournament final.

The Trailblazers are 1-5 all-time at Utah Valley with a sweep over the Wolverines at Lockhart Arena in 2024.

REMATCH OF 2025 WAC TOURNAMENT FINAL
The Trailblazers open the 2026 season with a rematch of the 2025 WAC Tournament final against the Wolverines.

Utah Valley makes their debut in the Big West this season after being WAC members from 2013-25 winning the WAC tournament in 2020, 2021 & 2025. 

NEW YEAR, NEW CONFERENCE
On June 25, 2025, Utah Tech announced that it had accepted an invitation to join the Big Sky Conference beginning on July 1, 2026.

The Big Sky will have 11 members in 2026 as the Trailblazers will be joined by Southern Utah as new conference members this season.

Northern Colorado won the Big Sky tournament in 2025 while Northern Arizona claimed the regular season championship last season with a 13-3 mark.

The Trailblazers will play home and away against eight conference opponents while only hosting Idaho and only traveling to Eastern Washington.

TRAILBLAZERS PICKED SEVENTH IN BIG SKY PRESEASON POLL
The Trailblazers were selected seventh in the Big Sky Preseason Coaches' Poll released on Aug. 19 racking up 57 points and one first-place vote.

With the Trailblazers one of four teams to earn at least one first-place vote, Northern Colorado, the 2025 Big Sky tournament champion, was picked as the conference favorite earning 88 points.

Northern Arizona, who won the Big Sky regular season championship a season ago, was tabbed second with 85 points followed by a tie between Idaho State and Montana for third with 72 points apiece.

Weber State (69 pts.) and Montana State (61 pts.) followed in fifth and sixth, respectively, with the Trailblazers in seventh with 57 points. Portland State (43 pts.), Idaho (25 pts.), Eastern Washington (18 pts.) and Southern Utah (15 pts.) rounded out the poll.

A QUICK LOOK AT THE 2026 TRAILBLAZERS
Utah Tech returns four starters and nine total letter winners from last season's squad while welcoming six newcomers to the team in 2026.

Split between five seniors, seven juniors and three sophomores, the Trailblazers are led by the return of a trio of seniors in WAC All-Tournament selections setter Marley Roe, outside hitter Tessa Treanor and opposite hitter Nana Asiata.

Senior libero Mya Laufiso finished third in the WAC last season in digs (391) & enters her fourth season as a Trailblazer sixth in career digs (953) & 12th in service aces (64).

Returning juniors are opposite hitter Sydney Reese, libero Kaleinani Watson, middle blocker Lusia Langi and libero/defensive specialist Mahealani Ikei.

The final returner is WAC All-Freshman selection in setter Tehanie Waters, who tallied 381 assists.

The newcomers group is led by senior opposite hitter Addyson McArthur (Southern Utah), juniors in middle blockers Cass Klapp (Snow College) & Shayle Dahle (Salt Lake CC) and opposite hitter Mia Lundberg (San Diego Mesa College).

Sophomore outside hitters Cale Torgerson (Eastern Arizona College) & Annalyse Shimada (Cedar HS, played on WBB team in 2025-26) round out the newcomers.

WINNING WAYS
Utah Tech posted a Division I high 21 wins in 2025, their third-most wins in the NCAA era, behind only 22 victories apiece in 2014 & 2018.

SWEEPS ON SWEEPS
The Trailblazers notched 13 sweeps last season to tie for the second-most sweeps in a season in the NCAA era, only topped by a record 14 in 2011. 

WHERE UTAH TECH RANKED IN THE WAC IN 2025
As a team, the Trailblazers led the WAC last season in assists per set (12.04), digs per set (14.90), hitting percentage (.223), kills per set (13.22), opponent hitting percentage (.144 - 4th nationally) & were second in the WAC & sixth nationally in blocks per set (2.90).

Laufiso finished fourth in the WAC in total digs (383), Roe came in fourth in the WAC in assists (571) & fifth in assists per set (5.83) while Reese checked in seventh in blocks per set (0.97).     

2025 SINGLE SEASON TEAM MARKS
As a team, the Trailblazers finished in the top 10 in a single season in hitting percentage (2nd - .223), block assists (2nd - 432), total blocks (3rd - 284.0), solo blocks (3rd - 68), kills per set (3rd - 13.22), assists per set (4th - 12.04), kills (6th - 1,296) and assists (8th - 1,180).

ON THE ROAD
Since joining the NCAA ranks in 2006, Utah Tech has recorded a 107-110 (.491) 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 & 2025).

Additionally, the Trailblazers have posted a 50-55 (.471) record in neutral-site contests.

The Trailblazers' six road wins last season are their most in the Division I era and were their most road wins since winning nine in 2018.

EARLY SEASON TOURNAMENT ACTION
Before getting Big Sky action started at Portland State on Sept. 24, the Trailblazers will compete in non-conference action in early season tournament next week in Hawaii followed by a pair of matches at the UC Irvine Invitational before hosting UC Riverside & Chicago State on Sept. 18 & 19 in the Utah Tech Tournament.

COACHING STAFF
Camilla Hafoka (Oregon State, 2010; 63-62 overall record) is in her eighth season overall with the Trailblazer program, and her sixth season as head coach as Utah Tech is in its seventh NCAA Division I campaign.

She earned 2025 WAC Coach of the Year honors after leading the Trailblazers to a 21-6 overall record & a share of the WAC regular season title.

During her time on the Trailblazer sidelines, Coach Hafoka has helped lead the Trailblazers to a 92-78 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 2019.

In the Trailblazers' first season in Division I in the 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 third-year associate head coach Shairone Thompson along with assistant coach Whitnee Tupe who is in her second season on the the sideline in her third stint with the Trailblazers after stints from 2011-15 and 2019-23.

UP NEXT
The Trailblazers head to Hawaii next week for the OUTRIGGER Invitational to take on host Hawaii (Sept. 3), UC San Diego (Sept. 4) and Loyola Marymount (Sept. 6) at Bankoh Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.