Upcoming Event: Volleyball versus Weber State (Exhibition) on August 15, 2026 at 3:00 P.M.
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The University of Utah Athletics
Utah Volleyball To Host In-State Rival BYU On Friday
10/15/2001 12:00 AM | Volleyball
Oct. 15, 2001
Salt Lake City -
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COMING UP: On Tues., Oct. 16, Utah will host the Weber State Wildcats at 7:00 p.m. The Utes will take on in-state rival BYU on Fri., Oct. 19 at Crimson Court at 7:00 p.m.
A QUICK LOOK AT UTAH: The Utes were a perfect 2-0 last week, defeating the UNLV Rebels on Fri., Oct. 12, and the San Diego State Aztecs on Sat., Oct. 13, at Crimson Court. Utah swept the Rebels, 30-27, 30-20, 30-23 and topped the Aztecs, 30-19, 30-18, 30-17. The Utes are a perfect 8-0 at home this season and are on a 10-match overall home win streak. Utah is currently 11-4 overall, 5-2 in MWC play.
Possible starters for the Utes in the match-up against Weber State and BYU are: McKelle Stilson (Sr., MB), Kelsie Kartchner (Fr., S) or Jackie Morrill (So., S/DS), Lenka Urbanov? (Sr., OH), Sylva Strzinkov? (Jr., OH), Katrena Ellett (Jr., OH/MB), Alisa Geddes (Sr., OH), Kim Turner (So., MB) and Adrianne Bradley-Drake (Sr., MB/OH).
The Utes return four starters, 10 letterwinners and add three true freshmen, along with two transfers to this year's roster. Utah stays at No. 18 this week in the Oct. 15 USA Today/AVCA Top-25 poll. The Utes have been ranked for eight consecutive weeks.
SERIES SHORTS: Utah leads the all-time series with Weber State, 39-16. In their last meeting on Nov. 22, 2000, Utah defeated Weber State, 3-1, (14-16, 15-3, 19-17, 15-5) in Ogden, Utah. Utah is 20-6 at home, 16-6 away and 3-4 at a neutral site vs. the Wildcats. Brigham Young leads the all-time series with Utah dating back to 1970, 61-7. In their last meeting on Sept. 20, 2001, Utah lost in three games, 30-26, 30-25, 30-25 to the Cougars in Provo, Utah. The Utes are 6-19 at home, 1-30 away and 0-12 at a neutral site vs. the Cougars.
QUOTING LAUNIERE: On the upcoming Weber State and Brigham Young matches- "Weber State is havi9ng a great year and they are a very good team. It should be a very good match and it is important that we focus on Weber State first and not look ahead. I am expecting a very good match with BYU becuase we are evenly matched statistically. I think it will come down to the little things as usual and that will be exciting. I am expecting a very competitive match up between the two teams."
SCOUTING WEBER STATE: The Weber State volleyball team is 10-6 overall with wins over North Texas, Saint Mary's, Mesa State, Northern Arizona, Sacramento State, Montana State, Eastern Washington, Portland Land, Boise State and Idaho State. The Wildcats are currently on a five-match win streak. Stephanie Metcalf leads Weber State, averaging 3.15 kills per game for a .316 hitting percentage and 2.48 digs per game. Natasha Widdison averages 3.00 kills per game and hits for .305, averaging 1.65 blocks per game. Holly Montana totals 2.79 digs per game and 1.77 kills per game. Laura Robinson and Lacey Rice split time at the setting position. Robinson averages 6.53 assists per game and Rice posts 4.45 assists per game. Head coach Al Givens is in his ninth year at Weber State. He has a 94-143 record with the Wildcats and a 246-280 career record.
SCOUTING NO. 13 RANKED BRIGHAM YOUNG: The No. 13 ranked Brigham Young Cougars are currently 12-2 overall, 6-1 in MWC Play. The Cougars have recorded wins over Washington, Purdue, Rhode Island, Colorado, SW Missouri State, Utah, UC Santa Barbara, New Mexico, Air Force, Wyoming, San Diego State and UNLV. BYU suffered losses to an unranked Texas Longhorn team and to MWC opponent Colorado State. Currently, the Cougars are on a two-match win streak. Nina Puikkonen leads the team, averaging 4.04 kills per game for a .391 hitting percentage and 2.26 digs per game and 1.48 blocks per game. Karina Puikkonen adds 1.61 kills per game, 12.19 assists per game and 1.70 digs per game. Natalie Whittaker leads the team defensively, totaling 3.21 digs per game. Second all-time in Division I victories, head coach Elaine Michaelis has guided her teams to an 867-216-5 (.799) mark over the past 32 years since records were first kept at BYU beginning in 1969.
NEXT WEEK: On Tues., Oct. 23 Utah faces the Utah State Aggies at home at 7:00 p.m. The Utes are back on the road on Fri., Oct. 26 vs. New Mexico and on Sat., Oct. 27 vs. Air Force. Match times are set for a 7:00 p.m. start. On Fri., Nov. 2, Utah will host the Wyoming Cowgirls at 7:00 p.m. The Utes will match-up with the Colorado State Rams on Sat., Nov. 3, at 7:00 p.m. at Crimson Court. On Fri., Nov. 9, Utah will face the Aztecs of San Diego State at 7:00 p.m. in San Diego, Calif. The Utes will take on the Rebels of UNLV on Sat., Nov. 10, at 7:00 p.m. in Las Vegas, Nev.
UTAH RANKINGS IN THE MWC: Utah, as a team is second in the MWC in opponent hitting percentage, holding opponents to just a .153 hitting percentage per match. The Utes are third in assists (14.02) and third with a .247 hitting percentage. The Utes are third in kills (15.36), match won-lost percentage (.733) and are fourth in blocks (2.96), service aces (1.60) and digs (13.20). Individually, Utah ranks among the top in the MWC statistical leaders. Junior Sylva Strzinkova is second in the MWC in digs (3.12) and is sixth in service aces (0.40), ninth in points (4.33) and ninth in kills (3.60). Senior Alisa Geddes is sixth in digs (2.58), sophomore Kim Turner is sixth in blocks (1.44), junior Katrena Ellet is eighth in hitting percentage (.313) and senior McKelle Stilson is ninth in hitting percentage (.308). Freshman Kelsie Kartchner is eighth in assists (7.94) and Tracy Neumeier is ninth in assists (5.03).
MWC PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Utah junior outside hitter Sylva Strzinkova was named Mountain West Conference Volleyball Player of the Week, marking the first time she has earned the award.
A native of Brno, Czech Republic and a transfer from Salt Lake CC, Strzinkova helped the Utes sweep UNLV and San Diego State last weekend to extend their home win streak to eight matches this season. Strzinkova totaled 12 kills and hit .400 vs. UNLV, and came back the next night to post her league-leading seventh double-double of the season with 12 kills and 14 digs vs. SDSU. She also tallied five block assists and hit .455 vs. the Aztecs.
Strzinkova ranks second in the MWC with 3.12 digs per game and ninth in the league with 3.60 kills per game. Currently hitting .278 this season, Strzinkova has topped .400 in hitting percentage in five of her last six matches and has a streak of eight straight matches with 10 or more kills. For the week, Strzinkova averaged 4.0 kills, .33 aces, 3.33 digs, 1.17 blocks and 4.92 points per game.
NEW ON THE STAT REPORT: The MWC is tracking individual points per game this season. Points are awarded based on the following formula: kills + aces + solo blocks + 1/2-assist blocks. Utah, as a team is seventh in the MWC in points (996.0). On the year, Sylva Strzinkova leads the Utes with 208.0 points (4.33 ppg), followed by Kim Turner with 176.0 (3.52 ppg), Alisa Geddes with 159.0 points (3.18 ppg), Adrianne Drake with 140.0 (2.92 ppg) and McKelle Stilson with 131.0 (2.79 ppg).
NATIONAL VOLLEYBALL ATTENDANCE: Utah ranks just outside the top 30 in the nation in home match attendance. In eight matches at home, the Utes have brought in 4,867 fans, an average of 608 fans per match.
HEAD COACH BETH LAUNIERE: In her 12th 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 third-consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance in 2000, and for a third-straight year advanced to the second round. It is the crowning achievement of Launiere's eleven-year tenure at Utah, in which she has posted a 214-150 (.588) career record.
The winningest coach in school history, Launiere has overseen a significant transformation since her arrival in 1990. In the last seven years alone, Launiere has guided the Utes to six 20-win seasons and Utah's third-place finish in the MWC in 2000 marked its eighth-consecutive upper-division finish in conference play.
Launiere worked hard in 2000 to maintain the level of play and expectations of the previous season. The 2000 season was a definite breakthrough year for Utah volleyball. Starting off on a good note, the Utes checked in with 59 votes in the preseason poll. With a 23-8 overall record, Utah posted its fifth consecutive, and sixth overall, 20-win season. The Utes' .742 overall winning percentage proved the best in school history. Utah also equaled the third-best conference winning percentage in school history last season (10-4, .714). The 2000 squad was the only team in school history to beat a No. 1 ranked opponent (a come-from-behind five-game victory over Stanford). With the win over Stanford and two more wins that next weekend, Utah earned its first-ever national ranking, coming in 18th in the USA Today/AVCA Top 25 poll released Mon., Sept. 12, 2000. Launiere recorded her 200th career victory at the McLeodUSA MWC Tournament with a 3-1 (15-9, 15-3, 5-15, 15-9) win over UNLV on Thurs., Nov. 16, 2000.
PRACTICE SCHEDULE: The Utes practice from 2:30-4:30 p.m. Mon.-Fri. in East 101 at the HPER building on the University of Utah campus. All practice times and dates are tentative and subject to change. For regular scheduled practice times, please contact Julie Lapomarda. Utah Women's Volleyball practices are closed to the media. To set up interviews before or after practice with Head Coach Beth Launiere or Ute players, please contact Julie Lapomarda women's volleyball SID at: (801) 581-3771 (office), or at (801) 468-0571 (home).
WEEKLY INTERVIEWS: Members of the media who wish to interview Head Coach Beth Launiere should contact her at her office (801-581-6843) between 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. weekdays. Interviews with the athletes should be arranged through Julie Lapomarda (801-581-3771).
POST-MATCH SERVICES/INTERVIEWS: Head Coach Beth Launiere and Utah players will be available for interviews outside the Utah lockerroom following a 10 minute cooling off period. A member of the Utah sports information staff will gather interview requests immediately following the match. Box scores will be provided and faxed upon request.
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