Upcoming Event: Volleyball versus Weber State (Exhibition) on August 15, 2026 at 3:00 P.M.
3:00 P.M.
Volleyball
vs Weber State (Exhibition)
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The University of Utah Athletics
Utes Take On In-State Rival Weber State
9/7/1999 12:00 AM | Volleyball
Sept. 7, 1999
Coming Up: Utah is back in action at home against in-state rival Weber State tonight, at 7:00 p.m. at Crimson Court.
This Weekend: The University of Utah's volleyball team travels to Champaign, Ill., to participate in its second tournament of the season, the State Farm Illini Classic, Friday and Saturday. The Utes will open the tournament against Georgia (1-2) on Friday at 7:30 p.m. (CDT). Sept. 11, the consolation match beings at 5:30 p.m. (CDT) and the championship match starts at 7:30 p.m. (CDT)
A quick look at Utah: The Utes have been on a four match win streak, capturing the Texas Tech Four Points Sheraton Classic Championship last weekend (Sept. 3-4). Utah's overall record is 4-1. Possible starters for the Utes in the match-up against Weber State are: Graciela Torres (Sr., S), McKelle Stilson (So., MB), Jen Snow-Richards (Jr., OH), Katrena Ellett (Fr., MB), Brooke Barton (Jr., OH), Adrianne Bradley (So., OH), or Lucie Turkov (Jr., DS). Utah's all-time assists leader Graciela Torres added 177 assists over the weekend to her career total of 3,930. The Utes add four transfers and four true freshmen to this year's roster.
After This: The Utes return home for a match against Utah State on Thurs., Sept. 16, at 7:00 p.m. Utah hosts Pepperdine on Fri., Sept. 17 at 7:00 p.m. The Utes hit the road Mon., Sept. 20 to take on Idaho State of the Big Sky Conference. Match time is set for 7:00 p.m. at Reed Gym in Pocatello, Idaho. Utah's next match up will be at the Mountain West/Pac 10 Challenge, Friday-Saturday Sept. 24-25, in Palo Alto, Calif. The Utes play Stanford on Sept. 24, at 7:30 p.m. (PDT). On Sat., Sept. 25, Utah will face California at 5:00 p.m. (PDT).
Texas Tech Four Points Sheraton Classic
MATCH RECAP: The University of Utah's volleyball team beat North Carolina State, 3-1 (15-3, 13-15, 15-8, 15-4) and its host, Texas Tech, 3-0 (17-15, 15-0, 15-12) to win the Four Points Sheraton Classic. Out of the nine selections, McKelle Stilson, Graciela Torres, Adrianne Bradley and Jen Snow-Richards were named to the all-tournament team. Utah's record improved to 4-1 overall, 0-0 in the Mountain West. NC State's overall record is 2-2, while Texas Tech moved to 4-1.
In the first match vs. NC State, Utah posted a .241 hitting percentage. Sophomore transfer Alisa Geddes recorded her first double-double with Utah, leading the team with 13 kills and 17 digs. Outside hitter Jen Snow-Richards posted 10 kills for a .207 hitting percentage and 10 digs. Sophomore Adrianne Bradley added 10 kills in the match. Senior setter Graciela Torres totaled 47 assists and five block assists.
NC State's Charece Williams and Stephanie Stambaugh totaled 10 kills each. The Pack posted a .039 hitting percentage in the match.
In the championship match against Texas Tech, Sophomore McKelle Stilson posted a .478 hitting percentage with 13 kills and four total blocks. Alisa Geddes hit .409 in the match with 11 kills, 14 digs, and two total blocks. Adrianne Bradley added 13 kills and Freshman Katrena Ellett posted seven total blocks. Graciela Torres had 42 assists and four block assists. Utah hit .252 in the match.
Texas Tech's Lori Garber posted 11 kills with a .348 hitting percentage. Teammate Ann Romjue added 12 digs in the match. Texas Tech posted a .104 hitting percentage in the match.
Scouting Weber State: The Wildcats opened their season Wed., Sept. 1, vs. Mesa State. Weber State defeated Mesa State in four games, 15-7, 13-15, 15-1, 15-7. At the Syracuse Preview Classic on Sept. 3-4 in Syracuse, NY, the Wildcats took on Kansas State, Syracuse University and Jacksonville State. Weber State lost 3-0 (3-15, 10-15, 7-15) to Kansas State. The Wildcats defeated Syracuse, 3-2 (15-5, 15-9, 12-15, 11-15, 15-13) and Jacksonville State in three (15-8, 15-2, 15-5). Two year letterwinner Laura Black leads the team, averaging 3.27 kills per game for a .289 hitting percentage. Black also leads the team with 0.82 blocks per game. Last year, she averaged 2.9 kills per game and 1.5 blocks per game. Middle blocker Liz Weston-Covill, a three year letterwinner, currently averages 2.33 kills per game and 2.73 digs per game. Last season, Weston-Covill averaged 1.9 kills per game, 1.9 digs per game and 1.3 blocks per game. Weber State is currently 3-1 overall, 0-0 in the Big Sky Conference. Weber State returns three starters from last year's team that went 13-17 overall and 8-8 in the Big Sky Conference. Head Coach Al Givens begins his 7th season with a 68-108 record at Weber State.
Scouting Georgia: The University of Georgia volleyball team hosted the Outback Steakhouse Invitational Fri.-Sat., Sept. 3-4. Georgia took on Michigan, Toledo and Mountain West Conference opponent BYU. The Bulldogs defeated Toledo in three games (15-13, 15-8, 15-3). Georgia lost to BYU, 3-2 (1-15, 15-10, 18-16, 12-15, 17-19) and to Michigan in three games (12-15, 10-15, 14-16) The Bulldogs are currently 1-2 overall, 0-0 in the SEC. Georgia returns four starters and seven letterwinners from last year's team, which posted a 14-14 overall record, 8-6 in the SEC. Senior outside hitter Rebecca Dady currently averages 3.00 kills per game and 3.82 digs per game. Dady totaled 295 kills, 284 digs and 29 total blocks last season. Teammate Mindi Westfall (Sr., S) currently averages 9.73 assists per game and 1.27 digs per game. Westfall posted 11.82 assists per game and totaled 152 digs in 1998. Head Coach Jim Iams enters his 11th year at the helm for the Bulldogs. Iams has compiled a 232-103 record at Georgia and a 273-128 career record.
Scouting Illinois: The Fighting Illini took part in the Long Beach State Tournament Sept. 3-4 in Long Beach, Calif. Illinois lost to Cal-Santa Barbara in three games (5-15, 11-15, 5-15) and to North Carolina 2-3 (12-15, 15-8, 3-15, 15-11, 9-15). The Fighting Illini are currently 0-2 overall, 0-0 in the Big Ten Conference. Illinois will take on Illinois State Wed., Sept. 8, in Champaign, Ill. at 7:00 p.m. Illinois returns four starters and nine letterwinners this season. Senior outside hitter Tracey Marshall is averaging 3.00 kills per game and 2.38 digs per game. Marshall averaged 4.47 kills per game for a .247 hitting percentage in 1998. Melissa Beitz currently posts 12.63 assists per game and 2.00 digs per game. Beitz averaged 15.49 assists per game and 2.41 digs per game last season. Head Coach Don Hardin has compiled a 52-39 record over the past three years at Illinois and a 244-115 career record.
Scouting George Mason: The Patriots began their season Sept. 3-4 at the War Eagle Classic at Auburn. George Mason took on New Mexico State, Florida A&M and its host Auburn. The Patriots defeated New Mexico State, 3-2 (5-15, 15-12, 13-15, 16-14, 15-12) and Florida A&M, 3-1 (15-4, 15-9, 13-15, 15-10). George Mason lost to Auburn, 3-2 (15-12, 15-8, 7-15, 11-15, 8-15). George Mason is currently 2-1 overall, 0-0 in the CAA. The Patriots return three starters and six letterwinners from last year's team that went 7-25 overall and 4-8 in the CAA.
Sophomore Natalia Torres-Tirado is currently averaging 4.07 kills per game and 3.14 digs per game. Torres-Tirado led the team last year averaging 4.35 kills per game. Torres-Tirado averaged 2.77 digs per game and 0.38 blocks per game in 1998. Junior Daniela Pastore led the team last year in assists with 1,285 and service aces with 45. Currently, Pastore is averaging 12.14 assists per game and 2.14 digs per game. In 15 seasons with the Patriots, Pat Kendrick has compiled a 269-206 career record.
Series shorts: Utah leads the all-time series with Weber State 36-18. Georgia leads the series with Utah, 2-0. Illinois leads the series with Utah, 4-0. Utah and George Mason will meet for the first time this weekend.
Utes claim tourney championship: The Utah women's volleyball team claimed first-place honors in the Texas Tech/Four Points Sheraton Classic Sept. 3-4. Utah defeated SMU, 3-0, Wright State, 3-0, NC State, 3-1, and its host Texas Tech, 3-0, in the championship match. Utah received four out of the nine selections for the all-tourney team. Graciela Torres, McKelle Stilson, Jen Snow-Richards and Adrianne Bradley were named to the all-tourney team.
The new mountain west conference: Utah and seven other schools broke away from the WAC to form the new Mountain West Conference. Joining the Utes in the nation's newest conference are: Air Force, Brigham Young, Colorado State, New Mexico, San Diego State, UNLV and Wyoming. The Utes open their conference schedule in October.
Head Coach Beth Launiere: In her tenth season, Beth Launiere has not only resurrected the Ute volleyball program and turned it into a consistent winner, she has also guided Utah to unprecedented success on the national level.
Under Launiere's leadership, Utah made its first-ever appearance in 1999 and advanced to the second round. It is the crowning achievement of Launiere's tenure at Utah, in which she has posted a 162-130 (.555) career record.
The winningest coach in school history, Launiere has overseen a significant transformation since her arrival in 1990. In the last five years alone, Launiere has guided the Utes to four 20-win seasons and five upper division finishes in the Western Athletic Conference.
Quoting Launiere: On the Weber State match- 'I think this match-up will be a good one. When you play an in-state team, lots of the athletes have played against one another before and both sides will get fired up.'
On the State Farm Illini Classic- 'We know Georgia is real good, they've got pretty good size and athleticism. It's a big match for us because I want to win that match so we can play Illinois. That is our focus, but our number one goal is Georgia. It would be nice if we could beat them and get a chance at Illinois too.'
MWC pre-season poll: In a survey of the Mountain West Conference coaches before the season, Utah, which received votes in the preseason national poll, was picked to finish third. Brigham Young was the unanimous favorite in the poll, with Colorado State projected to be the MWC runner-up. BYU entered the season ranked No. 7 in the nation, while Colorado State climbed into the preseason national poll at No. 24.
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