Utah Beach Volleyball Wraps Up Play at Pac-12 Championships

TUCSON, Ariz. – The Utah Beach Volleyball team wrapped up the Pac-12 Championships on Wednesday, dropping competitive dual matches to Oregon and Washington at Bear Down Beach in Tucson. The Utes dropped the opening match to Oregon 3-1, before dropping a heartbreaker to Washington by a score of 3-2.
 
Utah began the day with the No. 1 and No. 3 courts falling behind early in the first sets. Over on court four, the Utes’ pairing of Lauren Sayre and Sommer Daniel pulled ahead late in the set and managed to pick up the 21-18 win. Looking to add another first set win was Bella Vezzani and Grace Andrews, but a tight set that went to extra points saw the Utes fall short 26-24 in the opening frame.

Oregon secured the straight set wins on courts three and one to start the dual ahead 2-0 despite a close battle at the No. 1’s in the second set, but Daniel and Sayre would go on to get the Utes on the board with their 21-18, 21-18 victory. Sydney Jacinto and Kylie Pitzak bounced back in the second set 21-15 to force a third set as the No. 2 pairs were coming to a close.

Although Pitzak and Jacinto were leading 7-4 in the third set, Vezzani and Andrews couldn’t gain momentum down the stretch and fell 21-17 in the second set to see the Ducks end the dual 3-1 and move Utah to the contender’s bracket.

Utah then took on Washington in the contender’s bracket and saw an even tighter match as the contest went on. Washington rolled through a dominant first set on court one, while the remaining three of the remaining four courts would need extra points to determine the first sets. Jacinto and Pitzak continued where they left off in the morning match and won 21-15, while Daniel and Sayre did the same by winning 22-20 on court four.

Marissa Koch and Samantha Leight dropped a 22-20 battle in the first set, but the Utes managed to pick up their third first-set win on court two with Vezzani and Andrews in a 24-22 win. In the second frame, Sage Patchell and Amaya Messier played a tighter set but ultimately gave up the first dual point. The same would be done shortly after on court three to put Utah in a 2-0 deficit.

Despite trailing, the Utes had momentum as courts four and five were leading in the second sets, and Vezzani and Andrews were going back and forth on court two. Daniel and Sayre once again earned the first dual point for Utah with a…