No. 19 BYU women’s volleyball claws its way to victory over Cincinnati in a tight 4-set match as freshman Suli Davis shines

For the first time in program history, the No. 19 BYU women's volleyball team headed to Cincinnati, Ohio, to play the Bearcats in its first Big 12 road game.

After four tight sets, the Cougars clawed their way to victory with the help from star freshman Suli Davis, who dominated with her career high 27 kills, hitting .333 on the night. BYU won 3-1, winning by scores of 24-26, 25-29, 27-25 and 26-24.

Davis made herself known scoring the second-most kills by a BYU freshman in the rally scoring era. Her offensive power is what helped BYU overcome a rocky first-set loss and go on to win the next three straight sets, two of which went to extra points.

“I just had a chip on my shoulder,” Davis said after the match. “I found a way to play for something bigger than myself.”

Her play was not only powerful but purposeful, driven by a hunger to prove herself on a national stage.

That competitive edge was matched by her sense of gratitude for the team who surrounds her.

”It’s so fun, I love it!” she said. “It’s really a family for me. They’ve been so welcoming to me as a freshman so I love it.”

The match itself was a battle of momentum swings and emotional highs and lows. BYU led 19-16 in the opening set, but Cincinnati came through with junior Sydney Nolan and senior Carly Glendinning to take the set 26-24.

But BYU was ready and in response, went on a 7-1 run in the middle of the second set, winning the set comfortably 25-19. The Cougars took this energy into the third set, even after an 8-0 scoring run by Cincinnati, taking that set 27-25 with a clutch kill from Davis as well as a swing from her teammate Sophia Callahan to give them a match point, ending with a kill by Davis.

The fourth set was a nail-biter. Facing a 20-16 deficit, BYU bounced back quickly to tie it up at 22. After going back and forth, trading points, middle blocker Brielle Kemavor swung hard to claim the set 26-24 after a Bearcat attack went long.

Beyond Davis’ outstanding performance, the Cougars saw strong contributions all across the board.

• Claire Little Chambers added 18 kills of her own earning herself a double-double with her 10 digs. 
• Sophia Callahan pitched in with 12 kills, including her crucial third-set winner.
• Brielle Kemavor was nearly flawless, hitting .733 with 11 kills and a team-high four block assist. 
• Setter Alex Bower also got a career-high of 16 digs and 54 assists. 
• Libero Emma Barbero was an anchor on defense with 13 digs and nine assists. 

Coming off a loss against Colorado at home and a sweep against Iowa just days earlier, BYU entered their first road test with something to prove. After dropping five spots in the AVCA poll, the Cougars needed to show up — and they did.

With momentum building for the team and Davis emerging as a strong force, BYU looks ahead to its next Big 12 matchup against West Virginia Friday at Hope Coliseum.

The Cougars now sit at 14-1 overall and 2-1 in conference play, with their sights set on climbing back up the rankings.