Mountaineers Set for Showdown Against No. 19 Utah in Salt Lake City
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University volleyball team (8-14, 2-9 Big 12) is gearing up for a challenging match against No. 19 Utah on November 21 in Salt Lake City, with first serve scheduled for 9 p.m. ET at the Jon M. Huntsman Center. Fans can catch the action live on ESPN+, while live stats will be available on WVUsports.com.
This match marks a historic first encounter between the Mountaineers and the Utes, who joined the Big 12 after their tenure in the Pac-12. West Virginia is looking to bounce back after a tough loss to Arizona, where they fell 3-0 on November 17 at the WVU Coliseum. The Mountaineers were led by junior middle blocker Laila Ibrahim, who delivered 11 kills with an impressive .536 hitting percentage, while senior outside hitter Hailey Green contributed 10 kills. Defensively, junior middle blocker Chalina Lederer excelled with five total blocks.
West Virginia currently ranks fifth in the Big 12, showcasing a strong serving game with 153 service aces over 99 sets, averaging 1.55 aces per set. Redshirt junior Cassidy Tanton ranks eighth in the conference with 34 aces, averaging 0.37 aces per set.
Under the leadership of veteran head coach Beth Launiere, in her 35th season, Utah boasts an impressive record of 649-419 and enters the match with a strong season record of 21-5 and an 11-4 conference mark. The Utes are fresh off a narrow 3-2 victory against UCF on November 16.
For continuous updates on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUVolleyball on social media platforms including Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
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Photo credit wvusports.com