No. 12 Cougars sweep Wolverines in Orem

OREM, Utah — No. 12 BYU women’s volleyball swept Utah Valley, 3-0 (25-8, 25-17, 25-14) at Lockhart Arena on Friday night.

BOX SCORE

The Cougars (10-1, 0-0 Big 12) hit .361 in the three-set win, holding UVU to a .061 hitting percentage, their fifth time this season holding opponents below .100.

BYU out-blocked the Wolverines, 13 to three and also tallied nine service aces on the night, second most this season, led by libero Hannah Billeter’s four, tying a career-high. The nine aces and no service errors is the most aces without an error in the rally scoring era for the Cougars.

Outside hitter Erin Livingston led the Cougars with 10 kill on a .429 clip. Opposite hitter Kate Prior recorded seven kills, hitting .700, and setter Whitney Bower finished with six kills on a .500 clip to go along with 22 assists, five digs and three service aces.

Liberos Kamailie Hiapo and Aria McComber posted eight and seven digs, respectively. Middle blocker Mia Lee led the team with six blocks. Fellow middle blocker Whitney McEwan-Llarenas and Livingston each added five.

Set 1
Livingston and McEwan-Llarenas opened the match with a double block before BYU went on two separate 3-0 runs to lead 9-3. Two double blocks, kill by Livingston and Lee and back-to-back kills from Prior paced the Cougars early.

After a quick hitter to McEwan-Llarenas and a UVU error, BYU went in front 11-4, forcing a Wolverine timeout. The Cougars went on a 9-3 run, including a span of seven-straight that spanned Utah Valley’s second timeout, highlighted by a Whitney Bower dump kill, two Livingston-Lee double blocks and a pair of Whitney Bower aces.

After UVU broke up the run, BYU closed the set on a 5-0 run that was capped off by a Brielle Kemavor-Prior double block and Brielle Miller service ace as the Cougars took the opening frame, 25-8.

Set 2
Livingston landed four kills as the two teams went back-and-forth to begin the second. A 4-0 Wolverine run had the Cougars trailing 7-4 forcing a BYU timeout. Responding with a Prior-Lee double block and Kamaile Hiapo ace, the Cougars drew within one.

Keeping it close on a kill from Claire Little, a McEwan-Llarenas slide kill ignited a 10-0 run that spanned a Utah Valley timeout and featured two Livingston kills and a pair of aces by Hannah Billeter, putting BYU in front 17-10.

Another Whitney Bower dump kill, a kill by Lee off the block and two Livingston-Lee double blocks made it 21-13. A Prior kill and UVU error gave the Cougars set point, and Eden Bower teamed up with McEwan-Llarenas for a double block that sealed the set, 25-17.

Set 3
Beginning the third with a Little kill, quick hitter for McEwan-Llarenas, two dump kills by Whitney Bower and slide kill from McEwan-Llarenas, BYU led 6-1 early, forcing a Wolverine timeout.

A double block by Whitney Bower and McEwan-Llarenas and another pair of Billeter aces had the Cougars on an 11-1 run, and UVU took its second timeout with BYU in front, 12-2.

The Cougars got a quick-hitter for Kemavor before UVU scored four straight, making it 14-8 as BYU took a timeout. Going on a 5-1 out of the timeout, the Cougars got a kill from Eden Bower, ace by Whitney Bower and a Prior-Kemavor double block to lead 19-9.

Two kills from Prior, an Addie Benson kill and double block by McEwan-Llarenas and Eden Bower gave BYU match point and it would convert a play later on a cross-court Eden Bower kill, 25-14.

Up Next
The Cougars will conclude their in-state slate with a matchup at Utah State on Saturday night. Scheduled for 7 p.m. MDT, the match will be streamed on the Mountain West Network.