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7:00 PM
Volleyball
at Arizona
Thursday, November 30
Salt Lake City, UT
7:00 PM
University of Utah
23-9
3
vs
0
Cleveland State
22-8
1
2
3
F
Cleveland State
14
21
12
0
Utah
25
25
25
3
Utes Advance to Second Round with Sweep Over Vikings
11/30/2017 10:39 PM | Volleyball
Anae registers double-double in first-round victory
SALT LAKE CITY – The No. 11-seeded Utah Utes (23-9) opened the 2017 NCAA Volleyball Tournament with a first-round sweep (25-14, 25-21, 25-12) over the Cleveland State Vikings (22-8) Thursday evening at the Huntsman Center.
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The victory now sets the Utes up for a second-round match-up with the Purdue Boilermakers (23-9), who defeated High Point in four sets (21-25, 25-14, 25-22, 25-12) earlier on Thursday.
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The Utes were led by senior Adora Anae's double-double of 11 kills and 13 digs and sophomore Bailey Choy, who tallied 26 assists and three kills on the evening. Senior Tawnee Luafalemana and freshman Kenzie Koerber led the Utes defensively, totaling five blocks each.
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Utah opened the match with a 4-0 run, forcing Cleveland State to call a quick timeout, and then went onto dominate the rest of the frame and winning by a margin of 25-14. The Utes used runs of 5-0 and 7-1 to take a commanding 17-5 lead. CSU closed the gap by nine points late in the frame, but Utah won the final two points to take the set. Utah hit .423 and limited the Vikings to a clip of just .037.
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The Utes opened the second frame with a 3-1 run, but CSU came back with a kill from Sara Skeens to go up 5-4 and take its first lead of the match. Utah bounced back though with a 4-0 run forcing CSU to call timeout and later went on a 6-1 run to go up 15-9. The Vikings would take its final timeout and later proceed to go on a 9-2 run to take an 18-17 lead. Trailing 20-19, Utah would rattle off four straight points to go up 23-20 and later won the set 25-21 with a kill from Anae and go up 2-0 in the match.
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Utah opened the third set with a 4-1 run and later used a 5-1 run, which was capped off with a kill from Carly Trueman, to go up 11-6. A 5-2 Vikings run would get the opposing team back within two points, down 13-11, but Utah yielded just one more point down the stretch and ended both the set and the match with a 12-1 run to take the frame 25-12.
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Utah totaled 40 kills to CSU's 34 and outhit the Vikings .337 to .111. The Utes tallied hitting percentages of .423, .268 and .360 in sets 1-3, while limiting the Vikings to hitting percentages of just .037 in the first set and -.059 in the final frame.
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Utah and Purdue will face-off in the second round of the NCAA Tournament tomorrow evening at the Huntsman Center. First serve is set for 7 p.m. MT and the match will be televised live on the Pac-12 Networks. A free live stream will be provided as well with a link to the match found here.
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MATCH NOTES
• With the victory, Utah moved to 13-13 all-time in NCAA Tournament.
• Utah is now 11-2 all-time in first round matches, while moving to 4-1 all-time in NCAA Tournament matches played at home.
• This marked Utah's first win in the NCAA Tournament since downing Kansas State in the first round back in 2014.
• Thursday's three-set sweep marked Utah's eighth sweep in NCAA Tournament Matches.
•  Utah's .337 hitting percentage ranks as the fourth-highest in NCAA Tournament play.
• In her NCAA Tournament career, Anae has tallied 62 kills and 41 digs with three double-doubles. Her 62 career kills in the tournament ranks sixth most in school history, while her 41 digs rank seventh most all-time.
• Trueman tallied nine kills and Koerber ranked third on the team with six kills in the match.
• Freshman Shannon Scully led the team with two service aces. Utah tallied a total of five service aces, while giving up just one ace to CSU.
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QUOTES
Head Coach Beth Launiere
Opening statements…
I just told our team in the locker room that I loved our preparation for that match. I loved how we came out from the start, especially because it has been a focus of ours all week and we have been talking about it. We also knew that Cleveland State would have a pushback and they did in set two because they are a good team, but I thought we also handled that. We talked about ebbs and flows throughout the course of the match, but I thought we handled what came at us. We served extremely well tonight and got them into some trouble. I thought we ended up blocking pretty well, and so when you have your serve and your block going, then you are scoring some points. I also thought we sided-out well. I thought our passers did a great job of getting the ball up to Bailey [Choy] and I thought Bailey ran the offense wonderfully and got a lot of hitters involved. Adora led us with 11 kills, but we had some really high percentages from some of the other players. We had some nice offensive distribution and Bailey did a really nice job running the offense.
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On the fans coming out to the match…
It was a Thursday night and not as many free tickets going around because it is a little different with the NCAA's and we had almost 1,800 people, which is almost our average. I expect more tomorrow and I think it is going to be an exciting night. You asked about did it feel different, I thought it really felt like the NCAA tournament. Everybody around the athletic department was excited and fired up this week, so it really felt like we were going to the NCAA tournament.
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On Cleveland State playing better in the second set…
I thought they adjusted well. Their middle blocker was getting kills on Adora on a tight slide right behind the setter and then she started stopping her in the third set. It is all about adjustments. I thought they [Cleveland State] did a nice job. They started hitting higher, and they were being blocked a little bit, so they were being smarter with their hits and they got some kills deeper in the court. I thought they made nice adjustments in set two, but then our block got going again.
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Senior Outside Hitter Adora Anae
On her offensive flow throughout the match…
I think I only got set a couple times in the set, but it comes with ebbs and flows, so I wasn't thinking anything of it but just to keep swinging aggressively because that was our mindset coming in.
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On staying at home for the first round…
It was great. It kind of reminded me of my freshman year when we went to Nebraska and we swept the first team. I know what it takes to get to the tournament and what it takes to be in the tournament and the mindset you have to have. I think this year we have that mature mindset on and off the court. I feel great to get a 3-0 sweep tonight and we are ready for tomorrow.
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On maintaining control during Cleveland State's surge in the second set…
We were trying to find their weaknesses and capitalize on them. From the first set we can kind of see what's going on and we analyze that and see what our next two goals are for the second set. Coach Beth said to keep being aggressive and the second one was to keep defending them well because we weren't in the first set, but did in the second set.
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On Purdue tomorrow night…
They are big and physical. We already have some notes on them. They have a priority hitter, No. 20, and she hits out of the front row and the back row, so we are going to have to focus on them but it is more about us.
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On playing at home for the first two rounds…
It's super exciting to start in the tournament at home with our home fans is something special.
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Sophomore Setter Bailey Choy
On thought process coming into the match…
I was more excited. This is the second year I have been to the NCAA's and so learning from last and having our preparation be spot on helped. We were running our offense really well and we said that we would run the ball at No. 23 and find the small blockers, like the setter and No. 10. I felt that every hitter was available and the pass allowed me to set almost anyone.
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On the preparation with a quick turnaround…
Tomorrow we will have a scouting session, but we should all be watching video tonight and tomorrow we will all wrap it up and be more specific on what we are really focusing on.
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The victory now sets the Utes up for a second-round match-up with the Purdue Boilermakers (23-9), who defeated High Point in four sets (21-25, 25-14, 25-22, 25-12) earlier on Thursday.
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The Utes were led by senior Adora Anae's double-double of 11 kills and 13 digs and sophomore Bailey Choy, who tallied 26 assists and three kills on the evening. Senior Tawnee Luafalemana and freshman Kenzie Koerber led the Utes defensively, totaling five blocks each.
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Utah opened the match with a 4-0 run, forcing Cleveland State to call a quick timeout, and then went onto dominate the rest of the frame and winning by a margin of 25-14. The Utes used runs of 5-0 and 7-1 to take a commanding 17-5 lead. CSU closed the gap by nine points late in the frame, but Utah won the final two points to take the set. Utah hit .423 and limited the Vikings to a clip of just .037.
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The Utes opened the second frame with a 3-1 run, but CSU came back with a kill from Sara Skeens to go up 5-4 and take its first lead of the match. Utah bounced back though with a 4-0 run forcing CSU to call timeout and later went on a 6-1 run to go up 15-9. The Vikings would take its final timeout and later proceed to go on a 9-2 run to take an 18-17 lead. Trailing 20-19, Utah would rattle off four straight points to go up 23-20 and later won the set 25-21 with a kill from Anae and go up 2-0 in the match.
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Utah opened the third set with a 4-1 run and later used a 5-1 run, which was capped off with a kill from Carly Trueman, to go up 11-6. A 5-2 Vikings run would get the opposing team back within two points, down 13-11, but Utah yielded just one more point down the stretch and ended both the set and the match with a 12-1 run to take the frame 25-12.
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Utah totaled 40 kills to CSU's 34 and outhit the Vikings .337 to .111. The Utes tallied hitting percentages of .423, .268 and .360 in sets 1-3, while limiting the Vikings to hitting percentages of just .037 in the first set and -.059 in the final frame.
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Utah and Purdue will face-off in the second round of the NCAA Tournament tomorrow evening at the Huntsman Center. First serve is set for 7 p.m. MT and the match will be televised live on the Pac-12 Networks. A free live stream will be provided as well with a link to the match found here.
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MATCH NOTES
• With the victory, Utah moved to 13-13 all-time in NCAA Tournament.
• Utah is now 11-2 all-time in first round matches, while moving to 4-1 all-time in NCAA Tournament matches played at home.
• This marked Utah's first win in the NCAA Tournament since downing Kansas State in the first round back in 2014.
• Thursday's three-set sweep marked Utah's eighth sweep in NCAA Tournament Matches.
•  Utah's .337 hitting percentage ranks as the fourth-highest in NCAA Tournament play.
• In her NCAA Tournament career, Anae has tallied 62 kills and 41 digs with three double-doubles. Her 62 career kills in the tournament ranks sixth most in school history, while her 41 digs rank seventh most all-time.
• Trueman tallied nine kills and Koerber ranked third on the team with six kills in the match.
• Freshman Shannon Scully led the team with two service aces. Utah tallied a total of five service aces, while giving up just one ace to CSU.
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QUOTES
Head Coach Beth Launiere
Opening statements…
I just told our team in the locker room that I loved our preparation for that match. I loved how we came out from the start, especially because it has been a focus of ours all week and we have been talking about it. We also knew that Cleveland State would have a pushback and they did in set two because they are a good team, but I thought we also handled that. We talked about ebbs and flows throughout the course of the match, but I thought we handled what came at us. We served extremely well tonight and got them into some trouble. I thought we ended up blocking pretty well, and so when you have your serve and your block going, then you are scoring some points. I also thought we sided-out well. I thought our passers did a great job of getting the ball up to Bailey [Choy] and I thought Bailey ran the offense wonderfully and got a lot of hitters involved. Adora led us with 11 kills, but we had some really high percentages from some of the other players. We had some nice offensive distribution and Bailey did a really nice job running the offense.
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On the fans coming out to the match…
It was a Thursday night and not as many free tickets going around because it is a little different with the NCAA's and we had almost 1,800 people, which is almost our average. I expect more tomorrow and I think it is going to be an exciting night. You asked about did it feel different, I thought it really felt like the NCAA tournament. Everybody around the athletic department was excited and fired up this week, so it really felt like we were going to the NCAA tournament.
Â
On Cleveland State playing better in the second set…
I thought they adjusted well. Their middle blocker was getting kills on Adora on a tight slide right behind the setter and then she started stopping her in the third set. It is all about adjustments. I thought they [Cleveland State] did a nice job. They started hitting higher, and they were being blocked a little bit, so they were being smarter with their hits and they got some kills deeper in the court. I thought they made nice adjustments in set two, but then our block got going again.
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Senior Outside Hitter Adora Anae
On her offensive flow throughout the match…
I think I only got set a couple times in the set, but it comes with ebbs and flows, so I wasn't thinking anything of it but just to keep swinging aggressively because that was our mindset coming in.
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On staying at home for the first round…
It was great. It kind of reminded me of my freshman year when we went to Nebraska and we swept the first team. I know what it takes to get to the tournament and what it takes to be in the tournament and the mindset you have to have. I think this year we have that mature mindset on and off the court. I feel great to get a 3-0 sweep tonight and we are ready for tomorrow.
Â
On maintaining control during Cleveland State's surge in the second set…
We were trying to find their weaknesses and capitalize on them. From the first set we can kind of see what's going on and we analyze that and see what our next two goals are for the second set. Coach Beth said to keep being aggressive and the second one was to keep defending them well because we weren't in the first set, but did in the second set.
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On Purdue tomorrow night…
They are big and physical. We already have some notes on them. They have a priority hitter, No. 20, and she hits out of the front row and the back row, so we are going to have to focus on them but it is more about us.
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On playing at home for the first two rounds…
It's super exciting to start in the tournament at home with our home fans is something special.
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Sophomore Setter Bailey Choy
On thought process coming into the match…
I was more excited. This is the second year I have been to the NCAA's and so learning from last and having our preparation be spot on helped. We were running our offense really well and we said that we would run the ball at No. 23 and find the small blockers, like the setter and No. 10. I felt that every hitter was available and the pass allowed me to set almost anyone.
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On the preparation with a quick turnaround…
Tomorrow we will have a scouting session, but we should all be watching video tonight and tomorrow we will all wrap it up and be more specific on what we are really focusing on.
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Team Stats
CSU
UTAH
Kills
34
40
Errors
23
9
Attempts
99
92
Hitting %
.111
.337
Points
38.0
54.0
Assists
31
34
Aces
1
5
Blocks
3.0
9.0
Game Leaders
Kills-Aces-Blocks
Kills
11
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Kills
9
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Kills
6
Aces
1
Blocks
5
Kills
5
Aces
0
Blocks
4
Players Mentioned
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