Utah Beach Volleyball Wraps Up Play at Pac-12 Championships
TUCSON, Ariz. – The Utah Beach Volleyball team wrapped up the Pac-12 Championships on Wednesday, dropping competitive dual matches to Oregon and Washington at Bear Down Beach in Tucson. The Utes dropped the opening match to Oregon 3-1, before dropping a heartbreaker to Washington by a score of 3-2.
Utah began the day with the No. 1 and No. 3 courts falling behind early in the first sets. Over on court four, the Utes' pairing of Lauren Sayre and Sommer Daniel pulled ahead late in the set and managed to pick up the 21-18 win. Looking to add another first set win was Bella Vezzani and Grace Andrews, but a tight set that went to extra points saw the Utes fall short 26-24 in the opening frame.
Oregon secured the straight set wins on courts three and one to start the dual ahead 2-0 despite a close battle at the No. 1's in the second set, but Daniel and Sayre would go on to get the Utes on the board with their 21-18, 21-18 victory. Sydney Jacinto and Kylie Pitzak bounced back in the second set 21-15 to force a third set as the No. 2 pairs were coming to a close.
Although Pitzak and Jacinto were leading 7-4 in the third set, Vezzani and Andrews couldn't gain momentum down the stretch and fell 21-17 in the second set to see the Ducks end the dual 3-1 and move Utah to the contender's bracket.
Utah then took on Washington in the contender's bracket and saw an even tighter match as the contest went on. Washington rolled through a dominant first set on court one, while the remaining three of the remaining four courts would need extra points to determine the first sets. Jacinto and Pitzak continued where they left off in the morning match and won 21-15, while Daniel and Sayre did the same by winning 22-20 on court four.
Marissa Koch and Samantha Leight dropped a 22-20 battle in the first set, but the Utes managed to pick up their third first-set win on court two with Vezzani and Andrews in a 24-22 win. In the second frame, Sage Patchell and Amaya Messier played a tighter set but ultimately gave up the first dual point. The same would be done shortly after on court three to put Utah in a 2-0 deficit.
Despite trailing, the Utes had momentum as courts four and five were leading in the second sets, and Vezzani and Andrews were going back and forth on court two. Daniel and Sayre once again earned the first dual point for Utah with a 22-20, 21-18 win, which was then followed by a gutsy 26-24 win from Jacinto and Pitzak on court five to tie the dual 2-2.
With the match on the line, Andrews and Vezzani couldn't string together even points to get it done in the second set that again would take extra points to decide a winner (23-21). In the third set, an ace from Andrews sent Utah ahead 4-1 at the first side switch, but a run from Washington's duo regained the lead at the midway point. With the Washington lead at 13-11 late in the set, Andrews and Vezzani used a defensive stop and score to cut the lead to just one point, but a pair of Utah errors would end the match 3-2 for Washington.
Oregon 3, Utah 1
1. Brooke Nuneviller/Reagan Hope (ORE) def. Sage Patchell/Amaya Messier (UTAH) 21-10, 22-20
2. Alex Laita/Bea Wetton (ORE) def. Bella Vezzani/Grace Andrews (UTAH) 26-24, 21-17
3. Daley McClellan/Madelyn LaFollette (ORE) def. Marissa Koch/Samantha Leight (UTAH) 21-16, 21-11
4. Sommer Daniel/Lauren Sayre (UTAH) def. Ella Tyus/Ashley Schroeder (ORE) 21-18, 21-18
5. Savannah Siegrist/Ally Haden (ORE) vs. Kylie Pitzak/Sydney Jacinto (UTAH) 21-18, 15-21, 4-7, unf.
Order of finish: (3,1,4,2)
Washington 3, Utah 2
1. Natalie Robinson/Scarlett Dahl (WASH) def. Sage Patchell/Amaya Messier (UTAH) 21-5, 21-16
2. Maeve Griffin/Audra Wilmes (WASH) def. Grace Andrews/Bella Vezzani (UTAH) 22-24, 23-21, 15-12
3. Ashley Shook/Hannah Yerex (WASH) def. Marissa Koch/Samantha Leight (UTAH) 22-20, 21-16
4. Sommer Daniel/Lauren Sayre (UTAH) def. Emma Calle/Kyra Petersen (WASH) 22-20, 21-18
5. Kylie Pitzak/Sydney Jacinto (UTAH) def. Mia Savoldelli/Olivia Mikkelsen (WASH) 21-15, 26-24
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,4,5,2)