MATCH WEEK
The 17th-ranked Utah Volleyball team heads back to the postseason for the first time since 2021, hosting the College of Charleston Cougars in the first round of the Salt Lake City Regional on Thursday, Dec. 5 at 7:30 p.m. MT.
Fans can find the broadcast on ESPN+ with Jim Watson providing the play-by-play with Victoria Dennis bringing the analysis.
QUICK HITS
• Utah welcomes back the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2017. This is the fourth time the Jon M. Huntsman Center has played host to the opening rounds of the NCAA (2001, 05, 17, 24).
• Every NCAA Tournament Utah has qualified for has been under the leadership of head Coach Beth Launiere, making its first appearance in 1998.
• Utah closes out the regular season at #17 in the AVCA top 25 poll.
• The Utes have won seven consecutive matches to bring their first Big 12 season to an end, winning a five-set thriller on the road over Iowa State in the final match of the regular season.
• As the 35th pick overall, Lauren Jardine was drafted by the Las Vegas Thrill of the Pro Volleyball Federation with the 3rd pick in the 5th round.
• Five Utes have earned All-Big 12 honors with Kamryn Gibadlo and Allie Olsen being named to the first team. Lauren Jardine and Emrie Satuala collected second-team honors, with Isabelle Marco adding All-Rookie Team laurels.
• Vanessa Ramirez is second for all-time career digs in Utah Volleyball history with 1,616.
• As a team, Utah has averaged 14.0 kills per set with 12.9 assists per set. From the service line, the Utes are averaging 1.6 aces per set. On the defensive side of the net, Utah is posting 15.4 digs per set with 2.3 blocks per set.
• Utah has 161 aces as a team this season, ranking 9th in the rally-scoring era for a single-season as a team.
• The Utes have reached their most wins in a season since 2021.
• Utah’s .265 hitting percentage as a team has the chance to finish 2nd in the rally-scoring era for a team in a single season, trailing the 2006 team which finished with a .281 clip.
• With the win over BYU, Utah secured the 900th win in program history while setting a new attendance record (5,953) at the Jon M. Huntsman…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at University of Utah Athletics…