Utah Tech University Athletics had a week of lows and highs. Standout performances in volleyball and golf were notable, while football and women’s soccer suffered setbacks.
Golf
The men’s team wrapped up their season-opening trip to Colorado with an eighth-place finish at the Air Force Academy Gene Miranda Falcon Invitational. The Trailblazers scored 873 throughout three rounds, with their most robust performance coming in the third round, where they shot three under par with a 285 in the final round on Monday.
Zach Felts, Ashton McArthur and Jackson Rhees each tied for 28th place. Junior Tanner Telford had the best score of the team in the final round finishing three under par with a score of 69. Sophomore KJ Ofahengaue finished a tie for 51st place. The team will take a three-week break before heading to northern California for the Pacific Visit Stockton Invitational Oct. 14-16.
Women’s volleyball
Utah Tech volleyball started its Western Athletic Conference (WAC) season on a high note Thursday night with a strong victory over Abilene Christian University at the Burns Arena. The Trailblazers held a 7-4 record (1-0 in WAC) and defeated ACU, which has (a 5-1 record), or five wins and seven losses, in straight sets with scores of 25-13, 25-22, 25-12.
Junior Kennedi Knudsen was the match’s star, leading the team with 12 kills. She also contributed with nine digs on defense. Junior middle blocker Taylor Snow provided eight blocks to help stifle the ACU offense. Additionally, junior Casidy Fried helped the teams succeed with four service aces. Overall, the Trailblazers outperformed ACU in every category, especially in kills (36-22) and blocks (10-2).
On Thursday night, in a thrilling matchup at the Burns Arena, the volleyball team rallied to defeat Tarleton State University in four sets after dropping the first set.
The Trailblazers initially lost their opening set 23-25 despite leading 22-19 at one point. However, they rebounded to take the next three sets with scores of 25-15, 25-18 and 25-21. Showing resilience, the Trailblazers were able to overcome the Texans.
Junior Kennedi Knudsen led the charge for Utah Tech, recording 15 kills, nine digs, three assists and three block assists. Sophomore Tessa Treanor contributed 13 kills, while Junior Taylor Snow excelled with eight blocks.
The Trailblazers were evenly matched with the Texans in kills, finishing with 56 kills each, but they led in service aces (7-5) and blocks (13-5).
Utah Tech will look to maintain the momentum as they kick off October with matches against Utah Valley University Oct. 3 and then Southern Utah University Oct. 5.
Women’s soccer
Utah Tech’s women’s soccer team opened their Western Athletic Conference play with a 2-1 loss to Grand Canyon University at GCU Stadium in Phoenix. The Trailblazers struck early in the fourth minute when junior Kyah Le assisted sophomore Ella Rusick, who scored a diagonal shot past the GCU goalkeeper.
Grand Canyon University leveled the score in the 32nd minute when senior Destinee Duran-Wise scored a goal. Trailblazer’s goalkeeper, junior Brianna Frey, played exceptionally well, making nine saves to keep the team in the game. In the 87th minute, GCU was rewarded with a penalty kick, securing the win for GCU.
Midfielder Kalea Woodyatt, a senior dental hygiene major from Layton, said: “The team’s morale is always high. We have great captains that have been really encouraging. As a team, we know we have the drive to keep getting better.”
Utah Tech will return home next week to take on Utah Valley University in their home opener Oct. 3.
Football
Utah Tech’s Homecoming game and opener in the United Athletic Conference took a disappointing turn as they lost to Abilene Christian University in a 55-30 defeat on Sept. 27 at Greater Zion Stadium.
The Trailblazers got off to a promising start with a seven-yard running touchdown from junior running back Chris Street during their second possession. However, ACU quickly countered with seven big plays, including a 76-yard touchdown from Mavrick Mclvor and a 53-yard rushing touchdown by Sam Hicks, who ended the night with three touchdowns.
Freshman quarterback Reggie Graff had a standout performance, throwing a career-high 231 yards and one touchdown while leading the team with 79 rushing yards and an additional score. Sophomore Eric Olsen was crucial in passing the game with 60 yards and scoring his first collegiate touchdown.
Overall, the Trailblazers achieved a season-high 508 yards of total offense, but ACU outpaced them with 609 yards.
Utah Tech football will be aiming for their first win of the season Oct. 5 when they take on the University of North Alabama.
This week’s recap showcases strong performances from women’s volleyball and a promising season opener from men’s golf. Football and women’s soccer will seek redemption in the weeks ahead. Stay tuned for more updates.
