Utes Open Conference With Three-Game Sweep of Wyoming

Friday, September 26

Salt Lake City, Utah

7:00 PM

University of Utah

Wyoming

Utes Open Conference With Three-Game Sweep of Wyoming

9/26/2003 12:00 AM | Volleyball

Sept. 26, 2003

Box Score

SALT LAKE CITY - The Utah volleyball team (7-5, 1-0) opened Mountain West Conference play with a three-game sweep (30-24, 34-32, 30-26) of Wyoming (10-5, 0-1) at Crimson Court tonight. The Utes held the advantage in every statistical category, hitting for .301 on the match, compared to the .266 of the Cowgirls. Utah also had more kills, assists, service aces, digs and blocks.

"This was a much better effort - we were much more consistent," Head Coach Beth Launiere said. "After the loss to Utah State on Tuesday, we had two great practices, and preparation leads to confidence. We responded to that loss, which is good."

Senior All-America candidate Kim Turner led a group of four Utes who finished in double figures in kills with 17 and a .500 hitting percentage. She also added 10 digs for her fifth double-double of the season.

Sophomores Shelly Sommerfeldt and Danielle Leichliter each had 11 kills, while junior Lyndsey Henderson finished with 10.

Junior setter Kelsie Kartchner also posted a double-double with 43 assists and 10 digs. She also had eight kills and hit for .583 on the match.

Henderson and freshman Amie Toone led the Ute block with five apiece, followed by Turner with three and Kartchner with two.

Things remained close in game one until the Utes pulled away at the end, going on a 13-7 run to close out the game. Utah hit .278 on the game and held Wyoming to .171. Turner hit for .800 with eight kills. She also had three digs and two blocks.

The Utes jumped out to a six-point lead (11-5) in game two, but the Cowgirls used a 12-6 run to tie it at 17. There were eight more ties in the game before Utah finally won it 34-32. The Utes edged Wyoming hitting, posting a .298 hitting percentage, compared to the .297 of the Cowgirls. Sommerfeldt had six kills, while Kartchner added five.

After a close start in the third and final game, Utah used an 8-2 run to take a 22-15 lead and never looked back, winning 30-26. Henderson had six kills on the game to pace the Utes.

UP NEXT:
Utah faces Colorado State, which swept BYU tonight, at 7 p.m. tomorrow, Sept. 27, at Crimson Court.

"CSU is very athletic and physical," Launiere said. "We're going to have to match them physically at the net, which we can do."