No. 14 BYU Ready for UCCU Crosstown Clash Against Utah Valley

PROVO, Utah – No. 14 BYU women’s volleyball will play its lone non-conference match of the regular season against Utah Valley at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 4, at the Lockhart Arena in Orem, Utah.

The Cougars added the UCCU Crosstown Clash to their schedule last week after their two matches against Santa Clara were postponed due to the Broncos delaying their season two weeks. The in-state matchup will be broadcast on WAC Digital Network.

BYU Match Notes

No. 14 BYU Cougars (2-0, 2-0 WCC)

• BYU moved up two spots to 14th in this week’s AVCA national poll
• The Cougars opened up the season last week with consecutive sweeps over Portland
• On Monday, true freshman libero Madi Allen was named WCC Defensive Player of the Week after averaging 4.50 digs per set in her first two collegiate matches
• Kennedy Eschenberg currently ranks second in NCAA Division I with a .536 hitting percentage (min. 3.33 average attacks per set & play in 66.7% of their team’s sets)
• Senior outside hitter Taylen Ballard-Nixon currently ranks fourth in NCAA Division I with 1.00 aces per set (six total) and leads the team with 23 kills (3.83 kills per set)
• As a team, BYU is 10th in the NCAA in aces per set with an average of 2.33 and ranks 13th in hitting percentage with a .308 team average
• Sophomore setter Whitney Bower is averaging 11.00 assists per set (20th in the NCAA) and the Cougars are currently 10th in the nation with an average of 13.67 assists per set

Series Information

• BYU is currently 14-0 against UVU, including six wins at Lockhart Arena
• The Cougars swept the Wolverines last season in the BYU Nike Invitational
• BYU has only lost four sets in the entire series, three of which came in Lockhart Arena

Utah Valley Wolverines (2-0, 2-0 WAC)

• UVU opened its season this past Monday and Tuesday with a pair of wins over WAC foe Seattle University
• The Wolverines are led by first-team All-WAC outside hitter Kazna Tanuvasa, the senior ranks 19th in the NCAA with an average of .71 aces per set
• Freshman middle blocker Kendra Nock is 34th in the nation with an average of 1.43 blocks per set on a UVU squad that currently ranks seventh in NCAA Division I with an average of 3.67 blocks per set
• Utah Valley currently averages 2.43 aces per set, seventh-best average in the nation
• The Wolverines held Seattle U to a combined .133 hitting percentage in its first two matches, which ranks 25th in the NCAA in opponent hitting percentage

Broadcast Information

• Time: 6 p.m. MST
• Live Stream: WAC Digital Network
• Live Stats: StatBroadcast