Utah Volleyball Passes First Road Test With 3-1 Victory Over Cal
Despite being a veteran squad led by three returning All-Americans, it wasn't completely known how Utah would respond when faced with its first bout of adversity this season.
It's safe to say the Utes now know that answer.
After losing their first set all season, Utah found itself trailing 9-5 to Cal early in the third set. But rather than panic, the Utes relied on their offense and defense and were able to overcome the deficit with a quick 7-0 run. Utah then used that momentum to shut down the Golden Bears and walk away with the 3-1 (25-19, 23-25, 25-16, 25-11) victory.
Junior setter Saige Ka'aha'aina-Torres was phenomenal for the Utes on Friday, showcasing her ability to spread the ball around evenly and always keep the defense guessing.
While she consistently found All-Americans Dani Drews and Kenzie Koerber, Ka'aha'aina-Torres did a great job of putting players such as Madelyn Robinson and Zoe Weatherington in one-on-one scenarios that favored the Utes.
Ka'aha'aina-Torres finished with a season-high 42 assists, while Drews finished with 17 kills and Koerber added 13. Robinson and Weatherington combined for 16 kills to give the Utes a real nice balance all the way around.
Utah Volleyball — Courtesy of Utah Athletics
The opening set was a close one before the Utes went on a 6-2 run to take a 17-11 advantage, eventually propelling them to the win.
But the second set is where they had trouble with Cal fast-paced offensive attack. Leading 20-17, the Golden Bears went on a 3-0 run to tie the game. The Utes regained the lead at 23-22, but then Cal finished with another 3-0 to pull out the set and even the match.
Following the drama of the third set in which the Utes found themselves down early, the 7-0 run was followed by a 4-0 run to close it out and take the 2-1 lead. The fourth set provided little drama as Utah went about it's business, going on a 10-1 run to take a 14-5 lead and never looked back.
Ka'aha'aina-Torres also added six kills, seven digs, an ace and a block while freshman libero Vanessa Ramirez finished with 12 digs.
Utah will face Cal one more time on Sunday, with first serve set for 1 p.m. MT at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley.
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