While a certain college football game Saturday has intensified the rivalry between BYU and Utah, the women's volleyball coaches at the two universities share a purpose and a common opponent this week.
Simply put, Utah and BYU both have their eyes on beating Colorado State University.Utah and BYU close league play in the inaugural Mountain West Conference season this weekend, with the Wasatch Front duo playing host to the Front Range pair of CSU and Wyoming.
Utah meets CSU at 7 p.m. Friday and Wyoming at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, with both matches at Crimson Court. Meanwhile, BYU has an inverse slate at the Smith Fieldhouse, facing Wyoming at 7 p.m. Friday and CSU at 5 p.m. Saturday.
Why the shared attention toward No. 11 CSU?
For BYU, it's a chance to avenge its sole MWC loss, suffered on Oct. 22 before 4,000 rabid Rams fans in Fort Collins, Colo. "They just fed off that energy," said BYU coach Elaine Michaelis.
The head-to-head battle also provides the Cougars with the opportunity to win the regular-season title, since both BYU and CSU stand tied at 11-1 in the league standings. "We're calling it Championship Weekend around here," said Michaelis, mindful of not only the BYU-CSU volleyball game but the ramifications of the BYU-Utah football game in Provo earlier Saturday afternoon.
Of course, Michaelis admits playing CSU a day after Utah takes it shot at the visitors doesn't hurt -- she's hoping that the Utes will "soften up" the Rams.
As for Utah coach Beth Launiere's Ute squad, "softening up" CSU doesn't go far enough. Friday's match is a chance for Utah to make amends for a heartbreaking five-game loss Oct. 23 -- a match that Launiere believes her Utes should have won.
A victory would also help the U. in the MWC standings, and a possible double-defeat of CSU and Wyoming in the Beehive State could pull the Utes even with the Rams in the final league standings and factor into the seeding for next week's conference tournament in Provo.
Overall records are at stake as well. BYU is 22-3, with additional losses to more respected foes Stanford and Michigan. CSU is a glossy 24-1, but the Rams haven't played the national caliber of competition that is the Cougars' annual fare.
And with Utah at 19-7 overall, the Utes are one win away from that magical 20-win mark and want to do all possible to earn a return trip to the NCAA tournament.