Utah won its third MWC title with a 3-1 win over BYU in the MWC Championship Match.
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#3 Utah Takes MWC Championship With 3-1 Win Over Top-Seed BYU

Utes gain the conference's automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament.

Nov. 27, 2005

LAS VEGAS -

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In the Mountain West Conference Volleyball Championship Finals on Saturday night in Las Vegas, the #3 seed Utah Utes (22-8) defeated the top seed and 21st ranked BYU Cougars (25-3), 3-1 for its second MWC Tournament title. With the 30-22, 28-30, 30-23, 30-26 victory, the Utes earned the conference's automatic bid and their eighth trip into the NCAA Tournament. BYU will have to wait until Sunday to learn its fate when the NCAA selection committee announces the participants for this year's tournament.

Utah tallied one less kill than BYU (59 to 60), but held a higher hitting percentage in the match (.226 to .132). The Utes had 23 errors in the match and varied between two and 10 in each game. BYU, on the other hand, hit 39 errors and totaled between eight and 12 in each game. The lone game that Utah had an error total in double-digits was won by BYU, as the Utes hit for a game-low .062.

Utah, which claimed its third MWC title, was led by a double-double from Whitney Webb, as she collected 11 kills and 11 digs in the win. Shelly Sommerfeldt tied for the match high in kills with 17, while adding nine digs and four blocks. Airial Salvo had 16 kills and hit for a team-high .368 with eight digs and five blocks. Shannon Krug assisted on 54 kills. Danielle Leichliter joined Webb in double-digits in digs as she picked up 12.

Double-doubles by Chelsea Goodman (15 kills and 12 digs) and Lauren Evans (53 assists and 12 digs) were not enough to propel the Cougars to victory. Rachel Dyer tied Sommerfeldt for the match-high in kills with 17 of her own and registered the highest hitting percentage in the match at .414. Annie Kemp collected a tem-high 16 digs after moving into the libero position in game two. Lindsey Evans added 12 digs to round out the Cougars in double-digits.

Mountain West Conference All-Tournament Team
Chelsea Goodman, BYU
Rachel Dyer, BYU
Airial Salvo, Utah
Shelly Sommerfeldt, Utah
Emillie Toone, Utah
Maria Aladjova, UNLV

Setter - Shannon Krug, Utah
Libero - Katherine Whitney, Colorado State

MVP - Shelly Sommerfeldt, Utah