No. 21 Cougars fall to Wildcats in four sets

TUCSON, Ariz. — No. 21 BYU women’s volleyball dropped a four-set match to Arizona (24-26, 25-21, 22-25, 24-26) at the McKale Center on Wednesday night.

BOX SCORE

Despite double-doubles from both Suli Davis and Claire Little Chambers, and Sophia Callahan joining the duo in double figures, the Cougars (18-6, 6-6 Big 12) came up short in the defeat.

BYU hit just .168 to the Arizona’s .224 in match, also being out blocked, 12 to eight. The Cougars recorded 10 aces to the Wildcats’ five, but had five less kills (58-53), four more attack errors (25-21) and one less dig (76-25).

Davis finished with 20 kills and a career-high 15 digs, while Little Chambers contributed 10 kills and 12 digs. Callahan had 14 kills on a .481 clip. Alex Bower posted 40 assists and was a dig shy of joining Davis and Little Chambers with a double-double of her own.

Lulu Ululave recorded a match-high 20 digs, while Little Chambers had a team-high five blocks and four aces. Davis added three assists of her own, with Hannah Billeter pitching in two and Grace Fredrick carding the first of her career.

Set 1
BYU opened up a 4-0 lead in a first set that featured seven ties and three changes. The Cougars’ maintained their advantage until a 4-0 Arizona run put the Wildcats in front, 13-12, forcing a BYU timeout.

Retaking the lead, the Cougars then surrendered another four straight by Arizona, and called timeout at 18-15. BYU rallied to draw three ties, including at 24-all after a Wildcat timeout, but ultimately dropped the set, 26-24.

Set 2
After falling behind 2-0, the Cougars went on a 6-0 run, including a trio of double blocks involving Elena Wallace, forcing an Arizona timeout. The two teams traded 3-0 runs, with BYU retaining a six-point lead through 15-9.

The Cougars called their first timeout amidst a 6-0 Wildcat span that Sophia Callahan stopped with a kill off the block to put BYU back in front, 17-16. Bower’s second dump kill of the night ignited a 5-0 Cougar run that spanned the Wildcat’s second timeout and has BYU leading 23-17.

Using their second timeout at 23-20, the Cougars saw Arizona come within two at 23-21 before Davis downed her seventh kill in the set to get the Cougars set point. Little Chambers capitalized with an ace on the ensuing play for the 25-21 set win.

Set 3
A pair of Callahan kills and a Davis ace gave BYU an early 3-1 lead before four straight by Arizona gave the Wildcats an 8-6 advantage. Six consecutive points from the Cougars, including two Little Chambers aces spanned an Arizona timeout with BYU leading 12-8.

After a 3-0 Wildcat run, the set then saw seven ties through 20-20 before Arizona forced a Cougars timeout leading 22-20. A Davis kill and Wildcat error tied things at 22, Arizona closed the set on a 3-0 run, spanning BYU’s second timeout, to win it 25-22.

Set 4
Trading points early, two Little Chambers kills sparked a 4-0 Cougar run that put the Cougars up 6-3, but a 7-0 Arizona stretch that spanned a BYU timeout then had the Wildcats leading 15-13.

Callahan snapped the run with a kill on the right side as the Cougars answered with a 4-0 run as part of a 6-1 span that featured aces by Hannah Billeter and Grace Fredrick, forcing an Arizona timeout at 19-16.

The Wildcats took six of the next nine, including three straight, spanning BYU’s second timeout, to even the set at 22. After ties at 23 and 24, Arizona finished things off, 26-24.

Up Next
The Cougars will conclude their Arizona road trip with a match at No. 8 Arizona State on Friday, Nov. 7 at 7 p.m. MST on ESPN+.