PROVO, Utah — No. 24 BYU women's volleyball returns home for a Top 25 matchup on Saturday night against No. 20 Utah.
The Cougars (11-6, 4-3 Big 12) look to solidify themselves in the top third of the conference after picking up their first Big 12 road win of the year at Iowa State on Wednesday night.
| No. 24 BYU vs. No. 20 Utah | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Time | TV/Stream | Live Stats |
| Saturday, Oct. 19 | 7 p.m. MDT | ESPN+ | Stat Broadcast |
BYU beat the Cyclones in four sets on Wednesday in Ames, backed by 13 kills apiece from Elli Mortensen and Claire Little. The Cougars hit .301 to Iowa State's .201, tallying just eight attack errors to the Cyclones' 26.
Despite being out-aced and out-dug by ISU, BYU out-blocked Iowa State, seven to two, with the Cyclones not recording a block until the third set. Alex Bower posted her eighth double-double of the year with 35 assists and 13 digs.
Lulu Uluave recorded a career-high 20 digs in a contest that marked the Cougars' first win when an opponent recorded more kills than them. It was also BYU's first victory this season when three or more of the opponent's hitters tallied double-digit kills.
The Cougars improved to 9-0 when hitting .300 or better in 2024, upping their season hitting percentage to .268, which ranks 25th nationally. BYU is also 36th in total blocks (171.5) and 46th in blocks per set (2.56).
Leading the Big 12 in total blocks, the Cougars are second in conference in blocks per set and third in opponent hitting percentage (.177). Similarly, Brielle Kemavor leads the Big 12 in total blocks (90) and is second in blocks per set (1.34).
The middle blocker ranks No. 17 in the country in total blocks and No. 31 in blocks per set. Bower is No. 32 nationwide in total assists with 663 on the year. Little is second in the league in kills per set, total kills, points per set and total points.
Shooting for her 250th-career win on Saturday night, BYU head coach Heather Olmstead is 135-11 (.925) at home in her 10-year tenure, 30-29 in Top 25 matchups (.508) and 17-8 (.680) against ranked opponents in the Smith Fieldhouse.
No. 20 Utah (15-2, 5-1 Big 12)
- The Utes have just two losses on the year, one to then-No. 8 Purdue and the other at then-No. 15 Arizona State.
- Head coach Beth Launiere has been at Utah for all 35 seasons of its NCAA DI history, posting a 664-421 (.612) record since 1990.
- BYU leads the all-time series, 77-29, and is 41-11 against the Utes in Provo. Olmstead has a 9-2 record against Utah and is 5-1 against ranked Ute teams.
With just one match next week, the Cougars will have some time to prepare to face Colorado a second time this season, visiting the Buffaloes in Boulder on Friday, Oct. 25 at 7 p.m. MDT.