By Amber Singh and Alex Hoeft
The BYU women’s volleyball team had the crowd on its feet until the very last buzzer, when won three sets in a row against Weber State on Tuesday night.
The Cougars defeated the Wildcats 25-14, 25-21 and 28-26 at the Smith Fieldhouse.
“Weber is a fun team to play, it’s an instate team,” senior Christie Carpenter said. “They all love to come out and play BYU, so we just had to show them who’s boss.”
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Weber State’s Bethany Wray led the team with 12 kills and nine digs, assisted by Briana Wilms’s 10 kills.
Head coach Shawn Olmstead said he was pleased with the team’s performance.
“We had to stay composed under great pressure in those last few plays, but the girls followed through and I’m happy for them,” he said.
The players on the court had the same determined attitude as their coach. Even though they won the first two sets with a comfortable lead, the Cougars were forced to play differently in the last set.
“Sometimes our composure can let down and affect the game, especially games that end this close,” said junior Nicole Warner. “We have to find a way to let them do what they do but let us take control of the game.”
Weber State’s head coach Tom Peterson found himself at home on BYU’s campus. Coach of the 2004 NCAA Division I champion BYU men’s volleyball team, Peterson was named the Weber State’s women’s volleyball team head coach at the beginning of this year.
Olmstead looks up to Peterson, his former coach, and explained how it was an honor to put their teams on the same court.
This marks the second win for the women’s volleyball team and improves its record to 2-2.
The women’s volleyball team will next participate in the Kansas State Tournament Sep. 2-3 in Manhattan, Kan. Olmstead said he feels confident with a win under the Cougars’ belts as they prepare to head on the road.
