PROVO, Utah — No. 4-seed BYU women’s volleyball continues NCAA Tournament play with a second round matchup against No. 5-seed Arizona State on Saturday, Dec. 2 at 7 p.m. MST.
The Cougars (25-6, 13-5 Big 12) and Sun Devils both swept their first round opponents on Friday night, with Arizona State beating Georgia to kick off the day, and BYU utilizing a late third-set rally in the night cap.
No. 5-seed Arizona State @ No. 4 seed BYU
Trailing for just the second time in the match and by as many as five points in the final frame, the Cougars clawed back to tie the set at 19 before fighting off three Wildcat set points, closing the match on a 3-0 run to seal the sweep with a 27-25 set three victory.
BYU was fueled by Erin Livingston’s 21 kills, her 12th-consecutive match in double-figures. The Cougars also received nine kills (.727 clip) from Whitney McEwan-Llarenas, seven by Mia Lee, six from Whitney Bower and five by Kate Prior.
Bower posted a double-double of 31 assists and 11 digs, her team-leading seventh of the season. The senior setter enters Saturday night’s Second Round match with 135-career service aces, three aces away from becoming the Cougars’ rally scoring era ace leader. Lauren Richards Evans’ (2001-05) is the current leader with 137.
Liberos Kamaile Hiapo and Aria McComber recorded 12 and seven digs, respectively. McEwan-Llarenas talked five total blocks, while Mia Lee had two. Livingston, Whitney Bower and Eden Bower recorded two blocks apiece. Hannah Billeter and McEwan-Llarenas each carded one service ace.
With the win, BYU head coach Heather Olmstead improved to 9-0 in Tournament-opening games, sweeping the last eight. The Cougars are now 25-5 in first round games and 33-6 at the Smith Fieldhouse in the NCAA Tournament.
BYU has a 13-1 record at home in 2023, and has dropped just six of 46 (.870) sets at the Fieldhouse all season. The Cougars make their 23rd appearance to the Second Round, where they are 16-6 all-time.
Arizona State is one of seven opponents that BYU has faced twice previously in the NCAA Tournament. The two teams will face off on the Taraflex for the third time in postseason play on Saturday night.
No. 4-seed Arizona State (27-6, 14-6 Pac-12)
- BYU leads the all-time series between the two teams, 21-4. The Cougars and Sun Devils last met on Dec. 6, 2013, a 3-2 BYU win in an NCAA Tournament First Round match in Hawai'i.
- Including the 2013 matchup, the two teams have met in the NCAA Tournament twice, with the first postseason contest coming back in 1986. The last meeting in Provo, was on Sept. 13, 1991, a 3-0 Cougar win.
The winner of Saturday’s contest will advance to the Sweet 16 to take on the winner of Big 12 opponent/No. 8-seed Houston and No. 1-seed Stanford next week.