No. 6 BYU men’s volleyball secured a 3-0 win over UC Merced on Friday night in Merced, California, marking the first-ever meeting between the two teams.
After suffering two losses in Hawai’i last week, BYU returned to form and has now won 10 of its last 12 matches. The Cougars’ season record stands at 14-4 overall and 1-0 in conference play.
The team displayed a balanced offensive performance, with Tennison Lighthall, Teilon-Jonathan Tufuga, and Connor Oldani each recording seven kills. Lighthall achieved a career-high hitting percentage of .875. Eight BYU players registered three or more kills during the match.
Tyler Herget contributed a season-high three aces as part of the team’s nine total aces. AJ Cottle led defensively with two blocks. Overall, BYU outhit UC Merced .463 to .102.
In the opening set, UC Merced initially took the lead before BYU went ahead at 9-8 following a kill by Tafuga. The Cougars extended their advantage after a kill from Oldani and ultimately secured the set at 25-19 with Gavin Chambers’ first kill of the night.
BYU established early control in the second set, leading 4-1 and then 9-4. With a comfortable margin midway through, several starters were substituted out, allowing 14 different players to participate. Lighthall closed out the set with a kill for a 25-12 victory.
The third set began with another kill from Lighthall that sparked a 9-0 run for BYU. Cole Hauser, Max Philippe, and Trevor Herget contributed offensively as Lighthall finished the match with consecutive aces to seal the final set at 25-13.
BYU will conclude its California road trip against Jessop tomorrow night.
