No. 24 Cougars sweep Trailblazers in exhibition match

PROVO, Utah — No. 24 BYU women’s volleyball swept Utah Tech, marking a win in the first competition of the 2026 season at the Smith Fieldhouse on Saturday afternoon.

The Cougars out-hit the Trailblazers 42-27 in an afternoon matchup that kickstarted the year's competition. BYU also led in hitting percentage, earning .305 clip to Utah Tech’s .121, and secured 51 digs and eight blocks, besting its competitors in both categories.

Claire Little Chambers led the Cougars with 10 kills and Sophia Callahan followed with eight of her own. In addition, Lulu Uluave led BYU with 12 digs, while Alex Bower earned 10.

Bower also led the team in assists with 17 and Kaylie Kofe added 13.

Set 1
The Cougars and Trailblazers began the match trading opening points, followed by a 4-1 BYU run featuring kills from Callahan and Brooke Hardy, moving the score to 5-2. A series of 2-0 runs and a 3-0 run from BYU would then force a Utah Tech timeout with the Cougars ahead 10-4. 

BYU’s run continued out of the timeout, scoring four unanswered points and extending the run to 7-0. The Trailblazers would answer with two points of their own before a service error brought up the season's first technical timeout with BYU leading 15-6. 

Kills from Elli Mortensen and Kelli Jo Burgess moved the Cougar advantage to 19-8, which Utah Tech answered with a 2-0 run. Kills from Little Chambers fueled a 6-1 BYU run in response, securing the first set for the Cougars, 25-11.

Set 2
After a Trailblazer opening point, BYU would earn a 3-0 run to start the second set. Utah Tech would respond with a 3-0 run of their own, putting the Cougars behind for the first time, but an 8-2 BYU run would quickly put them back in the lead at 11-6. 

Following a timeout, the teams would trade points, moving the score 15-9. Back and forth play would continue, keeping the Cougars in front at 21-14. Despite an unsuccessful challenge from head coach Rob Neilson, BYU would close out the second set on a kill from Mortensen at 25-17.

Set 3
Give and take scoring from the second set continued into the third, before BYU earned its first 3-0 run at 6-3. Another 3-0 run would then force a Trailblazer timeout at 12-7. Out of the break, Utah Tech would embark on a 5-1 run, compelling a Cougar timeout at 14-12. 

The visitors would continue to stay close, moving within just one point at 18-17. With the margin remaining tight and a 2-0 BYU run, Utah Tech would pause play with a timeout at 22-19 in favor of the Cougars. 

 A kill from Rachel Jepsen and two Utah Tech attack errors would then secure the set and match for BYU at 25-20. 

Up Next
The Cougars travel south to Fort Meyers, Florida for the FGCU Invitational on Aug. 28-29 and will face Florida State and Florida Gulf Coast, with streaming against the host Eagles available on ESPN+.