Completed Event: Volleyball versus University of Northern Iowa on December 4, 2025 , Loss , 2, to, 3
Final Score
Volleyball
2
vs University of Northern Iowa
3
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The University of Utah Athletics
Beth Launiere Signs Contract Extension To 2027
4/26/2022 9:55 AM | Volleyball
Utah Volleyball Head Coach has led program to six consecutive NCAA Tournaments.
SALT LAKE CITY – Utah Volleyball Head Coach Beth Launiere has signed a contract extension through June of 2027, Director of Athletics Mark Harlan announced. Launiere, who enters her 33rd season at the helm of the program this upcoming fall, has guided the team to six consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances and three consecutive third-place finishes in the Pac-12 Conference.
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"Beth Launiere has set a standard of excellence for our volleyball program over the course of her 32 years at Utah, and has established a tremendous winning culture," Harlan said. "She has made an incredible impact on the lives of the student-athletes she has coached, to develop them in all facets of their lives while consistently producing teams that compete and win in the NCAA tournament."
Launiere boasts a 623-384 career record as the Utes' winningest coach of all-time and has led the team to 18 NCAA Tournament berths during her tenure. Utah is coming off a 22-9 campaign in 2021 and was ranked in the top-25 the entire season. The Utes finished third in the conference for the third-straight season with a 14-6 record, which ties a program-record for Pac-12 wins in a single season with the 2019 campaign. The Utes finished the season ranked eighth in the nation in kills per set (14.25), 18th in assists per set (12.87) and 30th in hitting percentage (.259).
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"The state of Utah, Salt Lake City and The University of Utah are my home and I couldn't be more excited to continue to be the head coach of a program I love!" said Launiere. "I am proud of Utah Volleyball and the sustained excellence we have been able to achieve in the Pac-12 and nationally, and look forward to continuing on."
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"Thank you to the University of Utah and the Athletics Department leadership for the support and care of the Utah Volleyball program and our student-athletes. It takes great effort from all involved to achieve our goals and create an environment conducive to both team and individual success. We will continue to work toward this end and the future is bright. Forever Go Utes!"
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Launiere has put Utah on the map as a perennial top-25 team. Launiere's program has been ranked in the AVCA poll for 44 weeks in a row following this past season, dating back to Sept. 2, 2019. She guided Utah volleyball to its highest ever AVCA ranking during the 2021 spring season following the canceled fall campaign due to COVID-19. In a conference-only schedule until the NCAA Tournament, Utah ranked as high as No. 7 in the nation. This past season, Utah climbed as high as No. 10 in the nation in a season that saw the two highest true road wins in program history – at No. 3 Nebraska and at No. 6 Washington.
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The Grand Rapids, Mich., native guided the most decorated player to ever wear a Utah volleyball jersey – Dani Drews – to an exceptional end of her career. Drews became Utah's all-time leader in kills with 2,268 kills in 2021. She also eclipsed the 1,000-dig mark and posted 1,104 career digs. Drews is the only Ute in history to post 2,000 kills and 1,000 digs in a career and just the sixth player in Pac-12 history to do so. She finished her career second all-time in Pac-12 history for career kills. Under Launiere's tutelage, Drews finished her career as the sole four-time AVCA All-American, All-Region and All-Pac-12 selection in program history.
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Launiere was named the 2019 Pac-12 Coach of the Year after leading the Utes to a 24-10 record and the program's fourth Sweet 16 in program history. Along with earning her first Pac-12 Coach of the Year honor, she also was named the AVCA Region Coach of the Year for the fourth time (2001, '06, '08, 19). The conference coach of the year award was her first Pac-12 honor and the fourth coach of the year award in her career after she was named the MWC Coach of the Year three times (2004, '06, '08).
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Winning 24 matches during the 2019 season matched the 2017 campaign and is the most since the 2008 team that had 26 wins in a season. To cap off the stellar regular season, the Utes advanced to the Sweet 16 for the fourth time in program history behind a program record four AVCA All-Americans. The Utes finished the season ranked No. 9 in the final AVCA Coaches Poll, marking the program's best finish in the AVCA poll, surpassing the previous No. 11 ranking it recorded back in the final poll in 2017.
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Launiere has recorded 19 20-win seasons and has led the program to four NCAA Tournament Regional Semifinal appearances (2001, 2008, 2017, 2019). Under Launiere's guidance, 14 Utah volleyball players have gone on to earn AVCA All-American honors, while 14 Utes have collected All-Pac-12 honors.
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Launiere arrived at Utah in 1990 and took over a team that had compiled a 1-32 record the previous year. Inspiring a turnaround in the program, she recorded Utah's first winning season in seven years (18-15) in 1992 - just her third year. She has now registered a total of 623 career victories, 302 conference wins and an all-time winning percentage of .618, with all of these marks ranking first among Utah volleyball's coaching records.
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"Beth Launiere has set a standard of excellence for our volleyball program over the course of her 32 years at Utah, and has established a tremendous winning culture," Harlan said. "She has made an incredible impact on the lives of the student-athletes she has coached, to develop them in all facets of their lives while consistently producing teams that compete and win in the NCAA tournament."
Launiere boasts a 623-384 career record as the Utes' winningest coach of all-time and has led the team to 18 NCAA Tournament berths during her tenure. Utah is coming off a 22-9 campaign in 2021 and was ranked in the top-25 the entire season. The Utes finished third in the conference for the third-straight season with a 14-6 record, which ties a program-record for Pac-12 wins in a single season with the 2019 campaign. The Utes finished the season ranked eighth in the nation in kills per set (14.25), 18th in assists per set (12.87) and 30th in hitting percentage (.259).
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"The state of Utah, Salt Lake City and The University of Utah are my home and I couldn't be more excited to continue to be the head coach of a program I love!" said Launiere. "I am proud of Utah Volleyball and the sustained excellence we have been able to achieve in the Pac-12 and nationally, and look forward to continuing on."
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"Thank you to the University of Utah and the Athletics Department leadership for the support and care of the Utah Volleyball program and our student-athletes. It takes great effort from all involved to achieve our goals and create an environment conducive to both team and individual success. We will continue to work toward this end and the future is bright. Forever Go Utes!"
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Launiere has put Utah on the map as a perennial top-25 team. Launiere's program has been ranked in the AVCA poll for 44 weeks in a row following this past season, dating back to Sept. 2, 2019. She guided Utah volleyball to its highest ever AVCA ranking during the 2021 spring season following the canceled fall campaign due to COVID-19. In a conference-only schedule until the NCAA Tournament, Utah ranked as high as No. 7 in the nation. This past season, Utah climbed as high as No. 10 in the nation in a season that saw the two highest true road wins in program history – at No. 3 Nebraska and at No. 6 Washington.
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The Grand Rapids, Mich., native guided the most decorated player to ever wear a Utah volleyball jersey – Dani Drews – to an exceptional end of her career. Drews became Utah's all-time leader in kills with 2,268 kills in 2021. She also eclipsed the 1,000-dig mark and posted 1,104 career digs. Drews is the only Ute in history to post 2,000 kills and 1,000 digs in a career and just the sixth player in Pac-12 history to do so. She finished her career second all-time in Pac-12 history for career kills. Under Launiere's tutelage, Drews finished her career as the sole four-time AVCA All-American, All-Region and All-Pac-12 selection in program history.
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Launiere was named the 2019 Pac-12 Coach of the Year after leading the Utes to a 24-10 record and the program's fourth Sweet 16 in program history. Along with earning her first Pac-12 Coach of the Year honor, she also was named the AVCA Region Coach of the Year for the fourth time (2001, '06, '08, 19). The conference coach of the year award was her first Pac-12 honor and the fourth coach of the year award in her career after she was named the MWC Coach of the Year three times (2004, '06, '08).
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Winning 24 matches during the 2019 season matched the 2017 campaign and is the most since the 2008 team that had 26 wins in a season. To cap off the stellar regular season, the Utes advanced to the Sweet 16 for the fourth time in program history behind a program record four AVCA All-Americans. The Utes finished the season ranked No. 9 in the final AVCA Coaches Poll, marking the program's best finish in the AVCA poll, surpassing the previous No. 11 ranking it recorded back in the final poll in 2017.
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Launiere has recorded 19 20-win seasons and has led the program to four NCAA Tournament Regional Semifinal appearances (2001, 2008, 2017, 2019). Under Launiere's guidance, 14 Utah volleyball players have gone on to earn AVCA All-American honors, while 14 Utes have collected All-Pac-12 honors.
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Launiere arrived at Utah in 1990 and took over a team that had compiled a 1-32 record the previous year. Inspiring a turnaround in the program, she recorded Utah's first winning season in seven years (18-15) in 1992 - just her third year. She has now registered a total of 623 career victories, 302 conference wins and an all-time winning percentage of .618, with all of these marks ranking first among Utah volleyball's coaching records.
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Players Mentioned
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