(Riverside, Calif. - Nov. 9, 2024) - The Trailblazer volleyball team fought tough, but fell in four sets at California Baptist on Saturday afternoon at Van Dyne Gymnasium.
Utah Tech (15-9, 9-5 WAC), who dropped its second straight match, fell in the opening two sets, 21-25 each, won the third set, 25-20, before a see-saw fourth set went the way of California Baptist (5-21, 5-9 WAC) for the win.
A week after setting the program record for most kills in a match, junior outside hitter
Kennedi Knudsen had another outstanding performance leading the way with 27 kills and notched her fourth double-double of the season adding 10 digs, three blocks and two assists.
Sophomore outside hitter
Tessa Treanor recorded a season-high 16 kills and she picked up her eighth double-double of 2024 tacking on 11 digs.
Sophomore setter
Marley Roe led the way with 25 assists along with a career-best 23 digs while
Casidy Fried added a team-leading eight blocks.
The opening stanza saw a back-and-forth opening play with the Trailblazers trailing by a slim 12-11 deficit after a kill by Fried. Staying within a pair at 21-19, four of the final six points of the set went to the Lancers for the an early 1-0 set lead.
CBU jumped out to a 15-8 lead in the second set before the Blazers responded with a 12-7 run, capped by a kill from
Emery Harrison, to cut the Lancers' lead down to 22-20. That was as close as UT could get as the Lancers scored three of the final four points of the set for a four-point set win.
With the third set getting out to an even 17-17 start, the Trailblazers kept the match alive closing out the set on an 8-3 run that included six kills, including three from Knudsen.
Taking a 10-8 lead to start the fourth set, CBU ripped off an 8-0 run to jump ahead 16-10. Seeing the end run with a block from
Hannah Howard and Fried, UT responded with an 8-2 run to knot the set at 18 after a service ace from Avalos.
A kill by Knudsen locked up the set at 23, but the final two points of the match went the way of CBU thanks to a kill and attack error to seal the win.
Utah Tech led the match in hitting percentage (.276-.242), kills (63-57), blocks (10-8) and digs (66-62) while the Lancers led in service aces (6-1).
The Trailblazers close out the regular season next week traveling to Seattle U (6-18, 4-10 WAC) on Thursday and hosting UT Arlington (23-2, 13-0 WAC) on Saturday.
