PROVO, Utah – Sophomore Amy Boswell’s blocks stole the show on senior night, helping pace No. 13 BYU women's volleyball to a four-set victory (25-13, 25-15, 21-25, 25-15) over San Diego Friday at the Smith Fieldhouse.
With the win, BYU (22-4, 13-2 West Coast Conference) claimed at least a share of the conference title with three matches remaining. San Diego fell to 16-11, 9-6 WCC.
“I thought the girls played an excellent match,” head coach Shawn Olmstead said. “They let off the gas a little in the third set, but they rebounded impressively. Overall it was a really nice match.”
Boswell's 17 blocks tied teammate Whitney Young and former teammate Nicole Warner's record for blocks in a match. The landmark performance also marked Boswell's third match of the season with at least 10 kills. BYU's 21.0 team blocks tied for the school's eighth most in the rally-scoring era.
Hitting at a .308 clip, BYU improved its record to 12-0 this year when hitting above .300. The Cougars have now won 12-straight matches at home.
With 19 kills, Junior Alexa Gray came one kill short of tying her season-high for kills in a match. Ciara Parker led the team in digs with 14 while Camry Godfrey Willardson added a team-high 38 assists.
The Cougars claimed the decisive fourth set 25-15. Senior Jennifer Hamson closed out the match with a kill and service ace for the last two points. Hamson and Gray combined for 12 kills in the set.
BYU won the first set in dominating fashion, 25-13. Four Cougars had at least three kills in the set, including seniors Tambre Nobles and Hamson. In the middle of the set, senior Tia Withers Welling scored on consecutive service aces to extend BYU's lead. The Cougars closed things out with a 10-3 run to take the 1-0 lead.
BYU nearly equaled its performance in the second set, winning 25-15. Behind Boswell, the team rode its first-set momentum to a 13-4 lead. Boswell's six blocks helped the Cougars hold off the Toreros and gain a 2-0 lead
The third set began similarly to the first two, with BYU leading early, 8-3. San Diego used five consecutive points to tie the set at eight apiece. Gray recorded six kills in the set, as the two teams fought back and forth, eventually tying the score at 21. The Cougars were unable to stifle a late surge from the Toreros, as they took a set 25-21 and sent the match to a fourth set.
The Cougars start their three-game road stretch Thursday, Nov. 20, at Portland. With a win, BYU will become sole WCC champions. Links to live stats and a video feed can be found on the BYU women’s volleyball schedule page.