OREM, Utah – With a Great West Conference championship now in tow, the Utah Valley University volleyball team closes the 2012 campaign Tuesday with a non-conference, regular season match at No. 13 BYU. First serve is set for 7 p.m. at BYU's Smith Fieldhouse.
The match will be broadcast on BYUtv and live, online streaming is available through byutvsports.com. Live stats for the match can also be accessed through WolverineGreen.com.
UVU (18-8, 7-1 GWC) claimed its first-ever conference tournament championship last weekend as it swept through the bracket. The Wolverines topped Texas-Pan American in straight sets in Friday's semifinal, then repeated the feat in Saturday's championship against Houston Baptist.
Erica Nish, the lone senior on the squad, sparked UVU's tournament run with an average of 11 kills and two blocks per match. With 13 kills in the title-deciding match, Nish earned Tournament MVP honors.
Joining Nish on the All-Tournament team were Wolverine setter Brookelyn Hall and libero McKenna Tait. Hall notched 37 assists in the three-set win over Houston Baptist, and Tait delivered 22 digs.
For the season, Nish leads UVU with 2.51 kills per set, followed closely by Kalani Norris' 2.48. Hall is putting up 9.49 assists per set, while Tait leads the Wolverines in digs at 3.13 per frame.
True freshman middle blocker Lauren Stringham has had a big year for the Wolverines. The recipient of the GWC Freshman of the Year award, Stringham leads UVU in blocks at 1.42 per set, a figure that ranks 19th nationally.
BYU (25-3, 13-3 WCC) split its matches last week, defeating Pepperdine 3-1 before falling 3-2 to San Diego. Those results secured a share of the West Coast Conference title for the 13th-ranked Cougars.
Junior Jennifer Hamson recorded 23 kills in each match, including a double-double against San Diego with 15 digs. Senior middle blocker Nicole Warner, who leads the NCAA at 1.77 blocks per set, also posted a double-double against the Toreros with 10 kills and 12 blocks.
Hamson leads BYU with 4.01 kills per set, while senior setter Heather Hannemann averages 11.29 assists per frame.
UVU has never defeated BYU, trailing in the all-time series 0-9. The two schools last met in 2010 in Orem with the visiting Cougars claiming a 3-0 victory.
Tuesday marks the final time that Wolverine volleyball will take the court as a member of the GWC. UVU is slated to join the WAC for the 2013 season.
Kellen Hiser is sports information assistant at Utah Valley University. For more information on Wolverine athletics, visit WolverineGreen.com.