PROVO, Utah — No. 18 BYU women's volleyball defeated Northern Colorado in five sets (25-16, 22-25, 25-17, 23-25, 15-8) at the Smith Fieldhouse on Thursday evening to begin the BYU Nike Invitational.
The Cougars' (4-0, 0-0 Big 12) fourth-straight win to start the season was their closest match of the year, their first five-set match of the 2025 campagin.
BYU out-hit the Bears, .346 to .237 in the contest. As part of the Cougars' 65 kills, Claire Little Chambers led both teams with 20 kills while Suli Davis added 17.
Set One
BYU took control of the first set quickly after a service error, kill by Alex Bower and two attacking errors that gave them a 4-0 lead.
After Northern Colorado battled back for its first points of the game, the Cougars went on another run going 10-3, highlighted by a pair of kills by Davis, Little Chambers and Sophia Callahan.
With set point on the line, an assist from Emma Barbero to Bower sealed the first set for the Cougars, 25-16.
Set Two
Like the first set, BYU started off on a positive note after taking an 8-4 lead with Little Chambers recording four kills. Despite this, the Bears rallied back, scoring the next five points to take a 9-8 advantage.
After the Cougars regained their lead on a kill from Mia Lee and a solo block by Davis, the Bears once again took control of the set, going on a 13-5 run which also included their match-high five straight points.
With Northern Colorado leading 22-15, BYU was able to rally back to make the score 24-22, but eventually fell after a kill from the Bears concluded the second set.
Set Three
The Cougars opened the third set with a couple of three-point runs to make the score 6-1, scoring their fifth and sixth points from double blocks courtesy of Brielle Kemavor and Little Chambers followed by Kemavor and Bower.
With BYU in front 19-13, the two teams continually went back-and-forth until the Cougars pulled away to win the set 25-22 on an attacking error by Northern Colorado.
Set Four
Northern Colorado rebounded by scoring the first two points of the fourth set, but were unable to increase its lead after a kill by Bower got BYU on the board. Neither team was able to grow a significant lead as they went back-and-forth until the Cougars gained an 8-7 lead.
The Bears took control of the set by going on a 4-0 run. Despite consistent kills and a 3-0 run, BYU was unable to close out the game in a tight 25-23 set in favor of Northern Colorado. The set featured nine ties and six lead changes.
Set Five
For the first time this season, the Cougars were forced into a fifth set. Highlighted by an ace from Barbero and two kills by Bower, BYU went on a 6-1 run.
After the Bears went on a 3-1 run, the Cougars regained momentum after a kill by Little Chambers ignited a 4-2 run, making the score 11-6. Northern Colorado was able to tighten the gap with a couple of scores, but a 4-0 run by BYU, capped off by a double block from Mia Lee and Davis, secured the 15-8 win for the Cougars in the final set.
Up Next
BYU will continue the Nike Invitational against Wichita State on Friday, September 5 at 6 p.m. MDT. The match will be streamed on ESPN+.