The University of Utah Athletics
Thursday, April 25
Los Angeles, CA
10:00 AM
University of Utah
1
vs
3
Oregon
Beach Volleyball Drops Two Matches at Pac-12 Championships on Thursday
4/25/2019 10:16 PM | Beach Volleyball
Utes eliminated from the conference tournament.
LOS ANGELES – The Utah beach volleyball team competed at the Pac-12 Championships on Thursday and dropped a pair of matches to close out the program's third season. Utah fell to Oregon in the opening match of the conference tournament and closed out the night dropping a match that came down to the wire against Washington at Merle Norman Stadium in Los Angeles.
Utah opened the Pac-12 Championships against the No. 9-seed Oregon Ducks on Thursday morning with the team's No. 4 and No. 5 pairs hitting the sand first. Oregon took an early lead in the dual after picking up wins at both positions to go up 2-0 over Utah. Keana Smalls/Kinga Windisch pushed their match to a third set at the 5's, but came up short in the third set trying to even the dual.
It was up to Utah's top three duos to rally and try to save the match. Keeping the hopes alive, Kenzie Koerber/Megan Yett in the No. 2 slot put together a straight set victory for Utah's first dual point. Meanwhile, the matches on courts one and three went to third sets after the teams had split the first two sets.
Dani Drews/Tawnee Luafalemana fell behind midway in the third set 10-5 and it proved to be too much to overcome as Oregon's top pair of Brooke Nuneviller/Lindsey Vander Weide took the third set win, 15-10, which clinched the dual for Oregon's first win ever at the Pac-12 Championships.
The Utes moved to the Contender's Bracket where they went on to face the No. 7-seed Washington Huskies. Washington took the match at the No. 4 pairs, but Smalls/Windisch evened the dual 1-1 after dropping their first set and rallying back. Pushing the match to a third set, Utah's No. 5 pair fell behind 13-11, but scored four straight points to win the match and pick up a dual point for Utah.
Washington then put the pressure back on Utah when the Huskies picked up straight set wins at the No. 2's. However, Drews/Luafalemana completed their dominant straight set win shortly after against Washington's top duo to once again even the dual at 2-2.
With elimination from the Pac-12 Championships on the line, the dual came down to the No. 3 duos. Jessica Villela/Lauren Sproule dropped the first set, but came out on top in a close second set to head to a third. There was no separation in the third set as it was tied 7-7 and the pairs went on to trade points back-and-forth the entire way until the Huskies scored two straight to win the set 16-14 and come away with the team win, 3-2.
Utah finished the season with a 5-9 record, which matches the program's mark for most wins in a season. The 5-9 record was the best win percentage in the program's three year history. Drews/Luafalemana and Koerber/Yett led the way for the Utes with 7-7 overall records as the 1's and 2's.
Utah 1, Oregon 3
1. Brooke Nuneviller/Lindsey Vander Weide (ORE) def. Dani Drews/Tawnee Luafalemana (UTAH), 21-17, 15-21, 15-10
2. Megan Yett/Kenzie Koerber (UTAH) def. Maddy Silberger-Franek (ORE), 21-13, 21-16
3. Lauren Sproule/Jessica Villela (UTAH) vs. Emily Mattoon/Lauren Page (ORE), 26-24, 14-21, suspended
4. Josie Cole/Ally Haden (ORE) def. Phoebe Grace/Olivia Teerlink (UTAH), 22-20, 21-10
5. Elise Ferreira/Carly Wallace (ORE) def. Keana Smalls/Kinga Windisch (UTAH), 19-21, 21-15, 15-12
Order of finish: 4, 5, 2, 1*
Utah 2, Washington 3
1. Dani Drews/Tawnee Luafalemana (UTAH) def. Kristen Gengenbacher/Destiny Julye (WASH), 21-14, 21-13
2. Kara Bajema/Shayne McPherson (WASH) def. Megan Yett/Kenzie Koerber (UTAH), 21-17, 21-14
3. Cat McCoy/Avie Niece (WASH) def. Lauren Sproule/Jessica Villela (UTAH), 21-18, 18-21, 16-14
4. Emma Calle/Samantha Drechsel (WASH) def. Phoebe Grace/Olivia Teerlink (UTAH), 21-7, 21-13
5. Keana Smalls/Kinga Windisch (UTAH) def. Chloe Newton/Callie Weber (WASH), 18-21, 21-18, 15-13
Order of finish: 4, 5, 2, 1, 3*
Utah opened the Pac-12 Championships against the No. 9-seed Oregon Ducks on Thursday morning with the team's No. 4 and No. 5 pairs hitting the sand first. Oregon took an early lead in the dual after picking up wins at both positions to go up 2-0 over Utah. Keana Smalls/Kinga Windisch pushed their match to a third set at the 5's, but came up short in the third set trying to even the dual.
It was up to Utah's top three duos to rally and try to save the match. Keeping the hopes alive, Kenzie Koerber/Megan Yett in the No. 2 slot put together a straight set victory for Utah's first dual point. Meanwhile, the matches on courts one and three went to third sets after the teams had split the first two sets.
Dani Drews/Tawnee Luafalemana fell behind midway in the third set 10-5 and it proved to be too much to overcome as Oregon's top pair of Brooke Nuneviller/Lindsey Vander Weide took the third set win, 15-10, which clinched the dual for Oregon's first win ever at the Pac-12 Championships.
The Utes moved to the Contender's Bracket where they went on to face the No. 7-seed Washington Huskies. Washington took the match at the No. 4 pairs, but Smalls/Windisch evened the dual 1-1 after dropping their first set and rallying back. Pushing the match to a third set, Utah's No. 5 pair fell behind 13-11, but scored four straight points to win the match and pick up a dual point for Utah.
Washington then put the pressure back on Utah when the Huskies picked up straight set wins at the No. 2's. However, Drews/Luafalemana completed their dominant straight set win shortly after against Washington's top duo to once again even the dual at 2-2.
With elimination from the Pac-12 Championships on the line, the dual came down to the No. 3 duos. Jessica Villela/Lauren Sproule dropped the first set, but came out on top in a close second set to head to a third. There was no separation in the third set as it was tied 7-7 and the pairs went on to trade points back-and-forth the entire way until the Huskies scored two straight to win the set 16-14 and come away with the team win, 3-2.
Utah finished the season with a 5-9 record, which matches the program's mark for most wins in a season. The 5-9 record was the best win percentage in the program's three year history. Drews/Luafalemana and Koerber/Yett led the way for the Utes with 7-7 overall records as the 1's and 2's.
Utah 1, Oregon 3
1. Brooke Nuneviller/Lindsey Vander Weide (ORE) def. Dani Drews/Tawnee Luafalemana (UTAH), 21-17, 15-21, 15-10
2. Megan Yett/Kenzie Koerber (UTAH) def. Maddy Silberger-Franek (ORE), 21-13, 21-16
3. Lauren Sproule/Jessica Villela (UTAH) vs. Emily Mattoon/Lauren Page (ORE), 26-24, 14-21, suspended
4. Josie Cole/Ally Haden (ORE) def. Phoebe Grace/Olivia Teerlink (UTAH), 22-20, 21-10
5. Elise Ferreira/Carly Wallace (ORE) def. Keana Smalls/Kinga Windisch (UTAH), 19-21, 21-15, 15-12
Order of finish: 4, 5, 2, 1*
Utah 2, Washington 3
1. Dani Drews/Tawnee Luafalemana (UTAH) def. Kristen Gengenbacher/Destiny Julye (WASH), 21-14, 21-13
2. Kara Bajema/Shayne McPherson (WASH) def. Megan Yett/Kenzie Koerber (UTAH), 21-17, 21-14
3. Cat McCoy/Avie Niece (WASH) def. Lauren Sproule/Jessica Villela (UTAH), 21-18, 18-21, 16-14
4. Emma Calle/Samantha Drechsel (WASH) def. Phoebe Grace/Olivia Teerlink (UTAH), 21-7, 21-13
5. Keana Smalls/Kinga Windisch (UTAH) def. Chloe Newton/Callie Weber (WASH), 18-21, 21-18, 15-13
Order of finish: 4, 5, 2, 1, 3*
Players Mentioned
/ Beach Volleyball
/ Beach Volleyball
/ Beach Volleyball
/ Beach Volleyball
/ Beach Volleyball
/ Beach Volleyball
/ Beach Volleyball
/ Beach Volleyball
/ Beach Volleyball
/ Beach Volleyball
Thursday, July 16
Thursday, July 16
Friday, July 10
Thursday, July 09