The No. 24 BYU women’s volleyball team swept the San Francisco Dons in a three-set match (29-27, 25-15, 25-15) on Oct. 12 in the Smith Fieldhouse.
The win improved BYU (14-3, 7-0 WCC), and it remains the number-one team in the conference with no losses in the WCC.
“I’m excited with how they bounced back after a tough (first set),” said head coach Shawn Olmstead. “San Francisco had set point, and they responded well and bounced back and were able to win the next two. We passed pretty well, and so our setter was able to set our outsides on good passes and not just on bad passes.”
Tambre Haddock led this match with 16 kills and 15 digs in three sets, and Alexa Gray added to that with 15 kills. Kathryn LeCheminant led the defense with six blocks in the middle.
“I think we played really well as a team, I was able to see the ball, take my time and get on the block because they have a higher set,” LeCheminant said.
The first set was close, and San Francisco hung with BYU the whole time. The game was tied 17 different times, but the Cougars gained a lead 17-14 after four consecutive points off of kills from Gray and Haddock.
At the end of the first set, the Dons took the lead and had set point 25-24 before Gray won the game for the Cougars 29-27 with a couple outside kills assisted by Camry Godfrey.
BYU gained a comfortable lead in the second set off three Gray kills and two service aces from setter Camry Godfrey to place the Cougars ahead 8-2. Then a pair of kills from Whitney Young and Haddock extended BYU’s lead to 11-4. The Cougars continued to play well throughout the set and took the second 25-15 after two LeCheminant kills.
The third set started off similar to the second, and BYU pulled ahead of San Francisco with an immediate 5-0 run. The Cougars continued to be successful and played with confidence, gaining a 13-7 lead. The Dons could not stop the Cougars, and BYU fired ahead, taking the final set 25-15.
“I think passing stepped up today where we were able to get our middles in system, and that opened up the outside and right side,” Haddock said.
BYU travels to Portland, Ore., on Oct. 17 to face Portland at 7 p.m. in the Chiles Center.
