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Volleyball
vs #13 Kansas
The University of Utah Athletics
Friday, September 29
Los Angeles, CA
8:00 PM
University of Utah
at
USC
Utes Head To Los Angeles, Play At USC and UCLA
9/26/2023 12:42 PM | Volleyball
MATCH WEEK
Utah Volleyball heads to Los Angeles for a pair of Pac-12 matches, facing USC and UCLA this weekend. Utah opens the weekend against USC on Friday, Sept. 29, at 8 p.m. MT. The Utes and Trojans will play on Pac-12 Mountain at the Galen Center. Then, the Utes head across town to Pauley Pavilion on Sunday, Oct. 1, to take on UCLA. The match will be live streamed at 1 p.m. MT.
QUICK HITS
• Vanessa Ramirez is ranked second in the Pac-12 with 3.91 digs per set.
• Utah has won three of the last four matches against USC in the Galen Center.
• Utah won last year's road match against UCLA and have won three of the last five road matches.
• The Utes are 6-1 when leading the match or tied in blocks.
• Seven Utes have recorded at least one match of double-digit digs this season, while six Utes have had at least one match with double-digit kills.
RAMIREZ RUNNING THE BACK ROW
Starting libero Vanessa Ramirez is leading the Utah defense once again as she has done sinceday one in Salt Lake City. She is second in the Pac-12 with 3.91 digs per set and has recorded double-digit digs in all but one match this season. The Pasadena, Calif., native recorded a season high 24 digs in just four sets against Weber State for her second match of 20-plus digs this season. Ramirez tallied 22 digs against NC State earlier this year and has 11 matches of 20 or more digs in her career. After this past weekend, she has now tallied 72 matches with double-digit digs as Utah's starting libero. Last year, Ramirez led the team in digs 27 of the 31 matches, while she finished third in the Pac-12 with 4.04 digs per set. She has led the team or tied for the lead in digs in all but one match this season so far.
AUTOMATIC ALLIE
Starting middle blocker Allie Olsen is coming off a season where she recorded a .363 hitting percentage, which ranked as the sixth-best percentage in a single season in program history. Olsen is off to a hot start for her senior season as she has hit above .500 in more than half of the matches so far. At the Utah Classic, she earned All-Tournament Team honors after hitting at a blazing .419 clip through three matches. Olsen recorded a season-high .692 hitting percentage against Tennessee State from nine kills and no errors, while hitting .538 against San Francisco. Earlier in the week, Olsen recorded a career-high 12 kills at Portland State where she hit .556 to help the team, while the match before she recorded nine kills on .533 hitting. The senior from Great Falls, Mont., is hitting .318 to start the 2023 season.
STRENGTH IN NUMBERS
The Utes have had countless student-athletes contribute to the team this season. Utah has had seven players reach double-digit digs in at least one match this season, while six Utes have recorded double-digit kills at one point in 2023. Four Utes have also recorded a double-double this year, which is all of their first of their careers. Lauren Jardine has led the team in kills in six matches, while Kamryn Gibadlo has done so in five outings. At the net, Utah has had six athletes lead the team in blocks in at least one match. Overall, Utah has had 12 players see action in over half of the matches this season.
SETTING THE STANDARD
Sophomore setter Viktoria Wahlgren has earned the start in every match this season and has recorded 9.64 assists per set. Wahlgren earned her first career double-double against UC Santa Barbara as she posted 44 assists and a career high 15 digs. Wahlgren also recorded a career-best 46 assists and career-high three aces at Portland State. Wahlgren is coming off 44 assists against California with a team-high three aces. The Canadian setter for the Utes also leads the team with 14 aces. She has posted five matches with at least two aces this season.
SCOUTING USC
USC has won seven straight coming in to the match against the Utes. The Trojans have picked up notable wins on the road at #17 Purdue and UCLA, while also recording a home win against San Diego. USC is led by the conference's leader in kills per set, Skylar Fields. Fields is averaging 5.16 kills per set, which ranks third in the nation. Mia Tuaniga is fifth in the Pac-12 and 33rd in the nation with 10.41 assists per set as well. Utah has won eight of the last 10 meetings, which includes seven-straight from 2018-22.
SCOUTING UCLA
UCLA heads into the weekend after dropping both of its opening Pac-12 matches against USC and #6 Oregon. The Bruins picked up non-conference wins over Hawaii, Pepperdine, and Long Beach State to highlight the schedule. UCLA has four hitters averaging over 2.00 kills per set, highlighted by Iman Ndiaye's 3.26 k/s. The Bruins are also fourth in the conference with 2.62 blocks per set, which ranks 25th nationally. In the last 10 meetings, Utah and UCLA are 5-5 with four of Utah's wins coming on the road.
UP NEXT
Utah returns to the Huntsman Center to host Oregon State and Oregon next Friday, Oct. 6, and Sunday, Oct. 8. The Utes welcome Oregon State for Fairy Tale Friday with first serve at 7 p.m. MT on the Pac-12 Network. Utah closes out the weekend on Sunday for its Power in Pink match against Oregon at 12 p.m. MT. The match will be live streamed.
Utah Volleyball heads to Los Angeles for a pair of Pac-12 matches, facing USC and UCLA this weekend. Utah opens the weekend against USC on Friday, Sept. 29, at 8 p.m. MT. The Utes and Trojans will play on Pac-12 Mountain at the Galen Center. Then, the Utes head across town to Pauley Pavilion on Sunday, Oct. 1, to take on UCLA. The match will be live streamed at 1 p.m. MT.
QUICK HITS
• Vanessa Ramirez is ranked second in the Pac-12 with 3.91 digs per set.
• Utah has won three of the last four matches against USC in the Galen Center.
• Utah won last year's road match against UCLA and have won three of the last five road matches.
• The Utes are 6-1 when leading the match or tied in blocks.
• Seven Utes have recorded at least one match of double-digit digs this season, while six Utes have had at least one match with double-digit kills.
RAMIREZ RUNNING THE BACK ROW
Starting libero Vanessa Ramirez is leading the Utah defense once again as she has done sinceday one in Salt Lake City. She is second in the Pac-12 with 3.91 digs per set and has recorded double-digit digs in all but one match this season. The Pasadena, Calif., native recorded a season high 24 digs in just four sets against Weber State for her second match of 20-plus digs this season. Ramirez tallied 22 digs against NC State earlier this year and has 11 matches of 20 or more digs in her career. After this past weekend, she has now tallied 72 matches with double-digit digs as Utah's starting libero. Last year, Ramirez led the team in digs 27 of the 31 matches, while she finished third in the Pac-12 with 4.04 digs per set. She has led the team or tied for the lead in digs in all but one match this season so far.
AUTOMATIC ALLIE
Starting middle blocker Allie Olsen is coming off a season where she recorded a .363 hitting percentage, which ranked as the sixth-best percentage in a single season in program history. Olsen is off to a hot start for her senior season as she has hit above .500 in more than half of the matches so far. At the Utah Classic, she earned All-Tournament Team honors after hitting at a blazing .419 clip through three matches. Olsen recorded a season-high .692 hitting percentage against Tennessee State from nine kills and no errors, while hitting .538 against San Francisco. Earlier in the week, Olsen recorded a career-high 12 kills at Portland State where she hit .556 to help the team, while the match before she recorded nine kills on .533 hitting. The senior from Great Falls, Mont., is hitting .318 to start the 2023 season.
STRENGTH IN NUMBERS
The Utes have had countless student-athletes contribute to the team this season. Utah has had seven players reach double-digit digs in at least one match this season, while six Utes have recorded double-digit kills at one point in 2023. Four Utes have also recorded a double-double this year, which is all of their first of their careers. Lauren Jardine has led the team in kills in six matches, while Kamryn Gibadlo has done so in five outings. At the net, Utah has had six athletes lead the team in blocks in at least one match. Overall, Utah has had 12 players see action in over half of the matches this season.
SETTING THE STANDARD
Sophomore setter Viktoria Wahlgren has earned the start in every match this season and has recorded 9.64 assists per set. Wahlgren earned her first career double-double against UC Santa Barbara as she posted 44 assists and a career high 15 digs. Wahlgren also recorded a career-best 46 assists and career-high three aces at Portland State. Wahlgren is coming off 44 assists against California with a team-high three aces. The Canadian setter for the Utes also leads the team with 14 aces. She has posted five matches with at least two aces this season.
SCOUTING USC
USC has won seven straight coming in to the match against the Utes. The Trojans have picked up notable wins on the road at #17 Purdue and UCLA, while also recording a home win against San Diego. USC is led by the conference's leader in kills per set, Skylar Fields. Fields is averaging 5.16 kills per set, which ranks third in the nation. Mia Tuaniga is fifth in the Pac-12 and 33rd in the nation with 10.41 assists per set as well. Utah has won eight of the last 10 meetings, which includes seven-straight from 2018-22.
SCOUTING UCLA
UCLA heads into the weekend after dropping both of its opening Pac-12 matches against USC and #6 Oregon. The Bruins picked up non-conference wins over Hawaii, Pepperdine, and Long Beach State to highlight the schedule. UCLA has four hitters averaging over 2.00 kills per set, highlighted by Iman Ndiaye's 3.26 k/s. The Bruins are also fourth in the conference with 2.62 blocks per set, which ranks 25th nationally. In the last 10 meetings, Utah and UCLA are 5-5 with four of Utah's wins coming on the road.
UP NEXT
Utah returns to the Huntsman Center to host Oregon State and Oregon next Friday, Oct. 6, and Sunday, Oct. 8. The Utes welcome Oregon State for Fairy Tale Friday with first serve at 7 p.m. MT on the Pac-12 Network. Utah closes out the weekend on Sunday for its Power in Pink match against Oregon at 12 p.m. MT. The match will be live streamed.
Players Mentioned
OH
/ Volleyball
Outside Hitter
/ Volleyball
MB
/ Volleyball
DS/L
/ Volleyball
Setter
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