SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – (August 31, 2025) – Washington State volleyball went toe-to-toe with an undefeated Utah squad on Sunday afternoon but came up just shy in a tight three-set contest (22-25, 23-25, 22-25) at the Jon M. Huntsman Center.

The Cougars (1-2, 0-0 WCC) had their chances throughout, pushing the Utes in all three frames with nine total lead changes and 12 ties across the match. WSU came out swinging in the opener, racing to a 4-0 start behind kills from Lucie Blažková and Taryn Vrieling before Utah rallied late to sneak away with the first set.

Set two was a thriller, featuring seven Cougar blocks and three service aces that fueled momentum. Italia Bernal delivered an early ace, Eliana Ti'a followed with another, and Livia Ward added a clutch ace late as WSU fought all the way to 23-23 before Utah won the final two points.

WSU refused to back down in the third. Melina Christodoulou was unstoppable offensively, posting 17 kills on .533 hitting to lead all players, while Blažková added seven kills and four blocks (.583 hitting). Freshman setter duo Ward (16 assists) and Bernal (18 assists) kept the Cougar attack balanced, helping WSU out-block Utah 7-6 at the net.

Defensively, Tinons Munar Galmés anchored the back row with a team-high 13 digs, while Ti'a added seven more.

Despite the 3-0 setback, the Cougars showed resilience against a Utah team that improved to 3-0 on the year. WSU hit .225 as a group and held the Utes under .270 in two of the three sets.

NOTES

• Lucie Blažkova didn't record an attack error over the first three games of the season against her 32 kills for a .640 hitting percentage.
• Blažková and Tinons Munar Galmés earned All-Tournament Team honors.

UP NEXT
The Cougars continue their non-conference slate next weekend at the GCU Classic, taking on Northern Arizona on Friday, Grand Canyon on Saturday, and East Texas A&M on Sunday.

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