The Dixie State University volleyball team has not lost a conference game so far this season.
The Trailblazers added three more games to the win column. They beat Westminster College, 3-0, Chanimade University, 0-3, and Notre Dame de Namur University, 1-3.
DSU began the week traveling the Salt Lake City to face off against the WC Griffins.
The first set was fairly even midway through, however, DSU held a slight advantage 13-12. The Trailblazers went on to win 12 of the next 15 points to take the set, 25-15.
It was a back-and-forth battle in the second set. DSU’s largest lead was five, but the Griffins kept it tight and evened the score at 24 late in the set. The Trailblazers were able to finish them off and win 26-24.
The third set was dominated DSU, as they jumped out to a 23-12 lead. Just moments later, the Trailblazers were able to capture their sixth consecutive win, winning the final set 25-16.
“I think we’ve just got momentum going for us,” head coach Robyn Felder said. “When you successfully do things over and over, you start to get a little swag. They are just playing with tons of confidence right now.”
Following the road victory, DSU returned home to take on CU Saturday. The Silverswords came out firing in the first set. They held a 16-13 lead midway through the set. The Trailblazers would claw their way back and would eventually tie the set at 19 before going on to win it 25-27.
DSU commanded the second set as it jumped out to a 7-16 lead. CU would try to cut into the lead, but the Trailblazers closed the door on the second set, 15-25.
The Silverswords threatened to take the third set as they led nearly the entire way. DSU found itself trailing 17-19 late. The reigning Pacific West Conference champs finished the game on a 3-8 run to take the set and the match.
“We pride ourselves on being very athletic,” Felder said. “[The team] works hard. They lift hard and condition hard.”
After notching its fifth win in conference play, DSU hosted NDNU Monday. The first set was mainly even until DSU started to pull away, taking a lead, 9-13. The Argonauts hung with the Trailblazers and trimmed the lead to one, but the Trailblazers quickly put a stop to the rally and took the opening set, 18-25.
The second set saw NDNU earn the early advantage 11-8. DSU countered, however, and won 13 of the next 16 points to take a seven-point lead. The Trailblazers went on to win the set by an identical score as the first, 18-25.
“I think the key for us was our energy,” said junior middle blocker Malary Marshall, a CIT major from Hurricane. “When we come out to play, we destroy teams because we work together as a team.”
In the third set, DSU once again found itself trailing early, 8-4. The Argonauts tried to separate themselves, but the Trailblazers hung with them and eventually brought the score to 19 apiece. NDNU pulled away late and ended up winning the set, 25-21.
DSU came out in the fourth set and looked reinvigorated after dropping its first set of the match. The Trailblazers jumped out to a commanding 10-2 lead. They would continue to build on that lead until Marshall secured the match-winning point with an emphatic spike, giving DSU the win, 14-25.
“We try not to get ahead of ourselves,” said sophomore Labero Sidney Brandon, a general studies major from Bountiful. “Our record isn’t really important to us. We focus on one set at a time and work towards our ultimate goal of being PacWest champs.”
The Trailblazers have now won eight games in a row and remain an unbeaten 6-0 in the PacWest Conference. They are currently tied for first place in the conference with California Baptist University.
DSU’s last lost was nearly a month ago. It came against California State San Bernardino Sept. 9. During the current winning streak, the Trailblazers have played a total of 27 sets. They have lost only three of them.
With their record now at 10-4, DSU will host Azusa Pacific University Saturday at noon. It will then make its annual trip to Hawaii and play three matches before returning home for a showdown against CBU Sept. 22.
“We want to be playing [CBU] when we are 10-0,” Felder said. “That’s our goal, to have both of us undefeated and battle it out.”
