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The Utes won their second consecutive MWC Tournament when they swept BYU in the championship match today.
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Nov. 23, 2002
FORT COLLINS, Colo. - The No. 24 University of Utah women's volleyball team swept Brigham Young 30-22, 30-25, 30-23 in the championship match of the Mountain West Conference Tournament this afternoon. It was the second MWC Tournament Championship in a row for the Utes. With the win, Utah receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
For the second consecutive year, junior middle blocker Kim Turner was named MWC Tournament MVP. Meanwhile, sophomore setter Kelsie Kartchner was named the top setter and junior libero Jackie Morrill was named the top defensive specialist. Senior Sylva Strzinkova was also named to the all-tournament team.
"I think Kim showed why she was the MVP of the conference in this tournament," Head Coach Beth Launiere said. "Kelsie totally deserved the award and I was super happy for Jackie, too. Sylva is a total leader and deserved the recognition."
BYU took an early lead in game one, but Utah quickly took control, leading by as many as nine points (18-9). The Utes hit for .294 on the game, compared to the .073 of the Cougars. Strzinkova had a game-high seven digs and led the Utes with four kills.
Game two was close throughout, with 14 ties, before the Utes pulled away at the end of the game for the five-point win. Turner notched seven kills on .636 hitting on the game to lead Utah.
The Utes dominated game three, building up to a seven-point lead and winning by seven points. Turner notched six kills, four digs and two blocks on the game. Utah held the Cougars to .057 hitting on the game.
Turner led three Utes in double figures in kills with a match-high 16. Strzinkova finished with 12, while sophomore Lyndsey Phillips had 10. Turner also had six digs, three blocks and a service ace. Strzinkova also added 12 digs for her 14th double-double of the season.
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"We played good, solid volleyball for three days," Launiere said. "We were in control of the matches, which allowed us not to get worn out. Everyone came ready to win. It was a total team effort all week."
UP NEXT:
The Utes host No. 2 Hawaii and No. 16 Arizona next week. Utah will play Hawaii on Wednesday, Nov. 27, and Arizona on Saturday, Nov. 30. Both matches start at 7 p.m. in Crimson Court.
