Utah Volleyball Set For Toughest Match To Date Against Arizona State
According to head coach Beth Launiere, last weekend served multiple purposes for the Utah volleyball team.
Not only were the Utes able to remain perfect on the season by sweeping Cal (3-1, 3-0), it was the first time Utah had been on the road during the COVID-19 pandemic sweeping the world.
"This is our first time on the road and while we think we know what to expect, we really have no idea," Launiere said last week. "Having to sit on the bus every other seat or every other row, does the hotel have a room that can fit us all in for a team prep or will we have to do it multiple times in small groups? There are so many questions that will be answered for us."
The Utes were tested in both matches against the Golden Bears.
In the first match, they fell in a set for the first time all season and had to deal with the adversity of coming back — which they promptly did. Then in the finale on Sunday, the Utes took the third and final set by a score of 28-26 as the lessons learned from playing in a tight set will greatly benefit them down the road.
While success on the court reigned supreme, it was the off-the-court scenarios where Launiere learned the most information. She learned what playing on the road throughout a pandemic will be like and how the Utes can best move forward to make things as safe and normal as possible for her team.
"It was different, that's for sure," Launiere said on Wednesday. "The good news is that the sun was shining and we were on the Bay so the girls got to be outside for a bit. But it's like a double-edged sword because if they're outside, they're wearing masks. ... There's no real relaxing or normal. A lot of our food was to go but we're learning how we will be able to eat and spend more time together as a team."
Utah was once again led by hitters Dani Drews and Kenzie Koerber, who combined for 52 kills in the victories over the Golden Bears. Setter Saige Ka'aha'aina-Torres was once again dominant, combining for 76 assists as she got everyone involved and picked her battles against Cal.
More than those three, the play of Zoe Weatherington, Madelyn Robinson and Megan Yett has improved throughout the four matches and have really made the Utes a well-rounded team with superstars and legitimate depth behind them.
With Utah dominating on the court and learning how to live life without it, they'll have the opportunity to find continues success when they travel to face Arizona State this week. First match is set for Friday at 3 p.m. followed be the finale on Sunday at 1 p.m.
According to Launiere, this will be Utah's toughest test by far, facing a Sun Devils squad that has been steadily improving over the last couple of years and has their best team over that span.
Arizona State is 1-3 on the season, opening the year with a huge win over No. 8 Washington before suffering three consecutive losses, one to the Huskies and two more to Washington State.
They're led by outside hitters Iman Isanovic and Marta Levinska, who have a combined 119 kills — or nearly 60% of the teams offense. Middle Megan Beedie is a four-year starter and third on the team with 25 kills while fellow middle Kennedi Boyd leads the team with 17 blocks on the year. Ella Snyder is the key to the offense, amassing 148 assists on the season (9.25 per set).
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