No need to wait until Saturday to watch BYU and Utah clash

There is a real argument that the most entertaining rivalry clash of the weekend between BYU and Utah will happen Friday night in the Huntsman Center, rather than Saturday night at Rice-Eccles Stadium.
Football dominates the headlines — and hearts — but the women’s volleyball match between the Cougars and Utes this weekend is a notable one, with the chance to be as entertaining, if not more so, than what will follow the next day.
The No. 21-ranked Cougars are making the trip to Salt Lake City to take on the No. 23-ranked Utes for the second time this season, and the stakes are high.
The Cougars and Utes are neck-and-neck in the Big 12 conference standings.
Utah is fifth in the league with an 8-4 record; BYU is sixth at 7-4. Just ahead of both teams are TCU and Baylor (each of whom are 8-3 in Big 12 play).
A win by BYU or Utah Friday night has the chance to vault the victors into the top three in the conference. And with Utah having only five matches remaining and BYU six (after Friday’s match) every win matters at this stage of the season.
The last Big 12 team not named Texas to win the conference outright was Kansas in 2016, and while the Jayhawks and Arizona State are the favorites to win the league this year (both teams are 11-1 in conference play), a single loss by both teams puts the title up for grabs, meaning the winner of Friday’s BYU and Utah match remains squarely in the Big 12 championship hunt.
The Cougars have dominated the series over the years, with 78 wins all-time over the Utes compared to 31 wins for Utah against BYU. The Cougars have won the last five meetings, including a 3-2 victory on Oct. 19 in Provo.
Since 2000, though, things have been fairly even between the rivals, with BYU holding only a 10-9 advantage.
The Cougars are 27-15 all-time against the Utes in Salt Lake City and BYU head coach Heather Olmstead is 10-2 against Utah during her tenure, including a 6-1 mark when Utah has been ranked.
The rivalry is probably best described as gritty.
That is how both coaches have described things in recent matches.
Following BYU’s win a couple of weeks ago, Olmstead told the Deseret News, “They were so gritty, and they just showed so much resilience and just mental fortitude to … stick with it,” Olmstead said. “It was one good play after another.”
Both the Cougars and Utes excel — both teams are ranked for a reason — though in different areas.
For instance, the Utes rank seventh nationally and second in the Big 12 in kills per set.
Utah also ranks seventh in the country and second in the Big 12 in assists per set.
Additionally, the Utes hold their opponents to a .174 hitting percentage, which is the second-best mark in the Big 12 (46th nationally).
BYU, meanwhile, has a hitting percentage of .267, which is No. 24 nationally and ahead of Utah’s mark of .260, which is top 30 in the country.
The Cougars lead the Big 12 in total blocks this season (212.5) and are second in the league in blocks per set (2.53), respectively, good for 50th and 42nd nationally.
On an individual basis, both BYU and Utah have their standouts.
For the Cougars, Brielle Kemavor has had a noteworthy season. She ranks No. 19 nationwide in total blocks (117) and No. 21 in blocks per set (1.39).
Claire Little has also been a standout and is second in the Big 12 in points (380.5) and points per set (4.53).
On Utah’s side, Allie Olsen ranks among the top 50 in the nation in hitting percentage (.376), ranked No. 40. Emrie Satuala is in the top 75 nationally in hitting percentage, with a .365 mark, good for No. 56 nationally.
The Utes also have Kamryn Gibadlo, who leads the team with 259 kills and has the second-most aces this season, with 23.
On paper, the Cougars and Utes are very similar teams right now.
There is a reason the meeting in Provo a few weeks ago went five competitive sets — 25-21, 25-27, 23-25, 25-23 and 15-12.
BYU rallied for victory in that one, outscoring Utah 6-1 in the final moments, but it was a back-and-forth affair all night long.
There is little reason to believe that the latest meeting between the in-state rivals will go much differently.