WAC VB25 Release Week 8

UTAH TECH BEGINS WAC PLAY WITH FIVE GAME WINNING STREAK
Utah Tech is off to its best start in conference play since joining the WAC with a perfect 5-0 WAC record and extended its overall winning streak to six matches, its longest winning streak since 2019. The Trailblazers have already matched their sweep total from last year after their ninth sweep of the season at Abilene Christian last Saturday. Sydney Reese tallied a career-high .636 hitting percentage with 14 kills on 22 attempts against Tarleton State and Lusia Langi notched a career-high 9 kills on 11 attempts for a .818 hitting percentage against ACU. Utah Tech enters the week 90th in the RPI rankings.
 
UTAH VALLEY SWEEPS UTA AND WAC WEEKLY HONORS
Utah Valley swept UT Arlington last Thursday as the Wolverines hit .307 as a team, their second highest hitting percentage of the season. Sami Blackett was awarded this week’s WAC Player of the Week award after recording a double-double with 15 digs and 12 kills and leading the league last week in digs per set (5.00/set), points per set (4.67/set) and kills per set (4.00/set). Evalyn Chism was named WAC Setter of the Week with 7.33 assists per set and Lani Matavao was selected WAC Libero of the Week with 4.67 digs per set.
 
ABILENE CHRISTIAN PULLS OFF REVERSE SWEEP
Abilene Christian rallied from a two-set deficit to secure a 3-2 win over Southern Utah and grab the program’s first reverse sweep since Nov. 2, 2023. Ashli Edmiston’s 17th kill of the match was the match-clincher and her 700th kill of her career, advancing her to eighth in career kills in ACU’s D-1 record book. Rachel Koss notched her seventh double-double of the season with 28 assists and 10 digs.
 
FRANK AND LARA LEAD TARLETON STATE SWEEP
Tarleton State racked up its fifth sweep of the season in its win versus Southern Utah, led by stellar performances from Madison Frank and LaNeah Lara who combined for 23 kills. Lara led the match with 12 kills followed by Frank who recorded 11 kills on 13 attacks with no errors for a .846 hitting percentage, a single-match career-high and the fourth-best single-match hitting percentage in the country on 10-14 attempts.