UVU Rallies to Beat ACU

ABILENE – Abilene Christian took the first two sets but couldn't pull out the victory in a 3-2 loss to Utah Valley on Saturday.
 
The Wolverines won the match 21-25, 28-30, 23-16, 25-22, 16-14.
 
The Cats came out strong in the first set, using a 5-1 run to build a 15-9 lead. ACU bumped the lead to 19-10 with a 4-0 run that was fueled by two kills from Braden Bossier and one kill each from Bryley Steinhilber and Ashli Edmiston.
 
UVU rallied to cut ACU's lead to 23-21 before a kill by Breanna Box and a Wolverine attack error put an end to the set.
 
The Cats trailed 21-16 in the second set but Steinhilber had two kills, Box added one and Madeline Guffy had an ace in a 4-0 lead to make it 21-20.
 
ACU trailed 25-24 but staved off the Wolverines with kills by Edmiston and Hannah Knier. Box later put together back-to-back kills to seal the game, 30-28, for the Wildcats.
 
The Wildcats struggled offensively in the third and fourth sets with negative hitting percentages in both sets.
 
ACU fell behind 12-7 in the decisive set but rallied to tie it behind three kills from Edmiston and another from Bossier in a 5-0 run. The Wildcats forced more ties at 13-13 and 14-14 before the Wolverines ended the match with consecutive kills by Avery Shewell.
 
Edmiston led the Wildcats with 18 kills with Bossier adding 14. Guffy had 49 assists and five aces.
 
Sara Carrizales paced the back row defense with 23 digs with Andie Sheppard adding 14 and Guffy and Steinhilber 12 each.
 
The Wildcats (6-8, 1-1 in the WAC) visit Grand Canyon on Thursday and California Baptist on Saturday, Sept. 30.