SALT LAKE CITY – Washington State volleyball continued their winning ways Sunday afternoon, knocking off No. 18 ranked Utah on the road in five sets.

Set scores from the match were: 23-25, 25-15, 24-26, 28-26, and 16-14 in favor of WSU (18-4, 7-3 Pac-12).

A matchup between ranked Pac-12 programs would not disappoint in the intensity featured inside the Hunstman Center this afternoon, as the Utah Utes (14-7, 6-4 Pac-12) and the No. 24 ranked Cougars were deadlocked at 3-3 early in set one. Utah found early success with a 4-0 scoring run to claim the 7-3 advantage of the Cougars but WSU fully intended to storm back in this first period of play. The Utes continued to hold down a steady lead midway into the set, seeing the largest lead at 17-12 overall. The Cougars, with some help from Utah errors, a block from Jocelyn Urias, and Hannah Pukis, and a kill from Magda Jehlářová, saw the deficit at just 18-16. Washington State would generate yet another run, this time at 4-0 from multiple kills by Alexcis Lusby to even up the set at 23-23. However Utah rattled off consecutive points to claim the opening set at 25-23 overall.
 
The second set of play feature more of the same tight play, until Washington State broke it wide open with an 8-2 scoring run, fueled by kills from Pia Timmer, Urias, Jehlářová, and Pukis. Back-to-back kills from Jocelyn continued the dominance with a 19-13 advantage heading into the late stages of action. The Cougars built one more run in this set at 6-1 overall for win it at 25-15. Timmer recorded yet another kill late, and back-to-back blocks from the Crimson and Gray, as Lusby and Magda were each involved, capped off the set victory.

Utah came out swinging in the third set, jumping ahead to a 5-1 lead over WSU with multiple blocks there would ultimately force a Cougar timeout at 8-3. The Utes looked to have this set all wrapped up, leading 20-13 late, but Washington State always knew how to create a comeback against the home squad. Lusby kick started the scoring for WSU with a tremendous kill, and the points would continue to add up for the Cougars, eventually tying the set at 24-24. Jehlářová would be involved in yet another block, along with Pukis who posted another kill to even the odds against Utah. The Utes much like the first set, recorded two straight points to seal off WSU for the 26-24 win.

Seven total ties occurred early in the fourth set of this contest, until the Utes once again found some rhythm to hold down a 13-9 lead over WSU. The Cougars were not going away quietly in this Pac-12 contest however, generating a 5-1 run with kills from Timmer, Pukis, and Jehlářová, capped off with a Pia ace to take an 18-17 lead. These two squads went on to trade points down the stretch of this set, until Washington State took advantage of multiple Utah errors to take set four after a Kalyah Williams and Magda block at 28-26.

This final set of play featured a back-and-forth battle between the Cougars and the Utes, trading points early, until WSU produced a 4-0 scoring run to take a slim 7-6 lead with some help from a Williams kill, and a Penny Tusa ace. While Utah would reclaim a one point lead during this set, the Cougars prevailed late as back-to-back kills from Urias and Jehlářová finished off the Utes on the road at 16-14.

STAT OF THE MATCH
Freshman Magda Jehlářová continued to be dominate on both offense and defense, leading the Cougars in multiple categories on the day. Magda posted a career high 18 kills in the contest, with a hitting percentage of .607 to guide WSU to victory. She went on to lead Washington State in blocking as well with eight total against the Utes.
 
INTO THE TWITTER-VERSE

That finish by @JehlarovaMagda & the Cougs are heading back to Pullman with the W!! 🙌#GoCougs | #BeUncommon pic.twitter.com/qUeHdP4tWN

— Cougar Volleyball (@WSUCougarVB) October 27, 2019

  MATCH NOTES

•  Along with Jehlářová, WSU saw three other Cougars with double-digit kills as Pia Timmer (17), Jocelyn Urias (12), and Kalyah Williams (10) helped anchor the offensive attack.
• Hannah Pukis continued to record career-highs and post double-doubles in 2019, as she tallied 62 assists, and 12 digs.
• Alexis Dirige and Julia Norville handled the ground game for the Cougars in this five-set win, with Dirige leading WSU with 23 digs, and Norville posting a career-high 17 in the match.  
• The Cougars return home next, as WSU will host the Bruins of UCLA inside Bohler Gym, Friday, Nov. 1 with first serve slated for 7 p.m.