At the conclusion of the 2025 season, BYU men’s volleyball head coach Shawn Olmstead held a final team meeting.

It was a chance for Olmstead to say good-bye to his seniors.

“We gave them huge hugs, told them thanks for everything, asked them to be our biggest fans and to continue to support us, then we dismissed them,” Olmstead said.

After the seniors left, Olmstead turned and looked at the eight remaining players: Two liberos, one setter, two middles, no right side and three outsides, two of which he was going to have to let go due to roster limits.

“It was the scariest sight I’ve ever had in my college coaching career,” Olmstead admitted.

Olmstead was excited about his incoming freshman class but concerned about going into the offseason without the experience of seniors Luke Benson, Miks Ramanis, Teon Taylor, Noa Haine and Keoni Thiim in the gym.

In April, Grand Canyon decided to cut its very successful men’s volleyball program and four talented Antelopes came on board, including former Cougar Trent Moser.

It’s no wonder Olmstead is optimistic for 2026.

“We got the GCU boys and that immediately changed everything,” Olmstead said. ” They brought experience and a breath of fresh air. We don’t need to entirely rely on these freshmen, so that was really big time. The former GCU coach (Jon Girten) was just texting me today saying he can’t wait to watch us play and he was rooting for us.”

The Cougars were picked to finish fifth in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation and eighth in the AVCA preseason Top 25 poll.

Where were we?

BYU was 7-5 in MPSF play in 2025 and earned the No. 3 seed in the league tournament. The Cougars battled No. 6 Stanford but lost in five sets to end up 19-10 overall and No. 8 in the final AVCA poll.

BYU was second in the country in home attendance (3,994) and memorably sold out the Smith Fieldhouse on back-to-back nights against Hawaii.

Benson was first team All-MPSF and earned honorable mention AVCA All-American honors. Ramanis fought injury issues all season but was named second team All-MPSF.

New faces

Counting Moser, there are 11 newcomers on the BYU roster in 2026.

Moser, a 6-foot-7 senior pin hitter, posted 305 kills for the Cougars in 2023 and 2024 before transferring to Grand Canyon, where last season he totaled 274 kills (2.88 per set) and hit .318 for the Antelopes.

“The biggest thing for Trent is that he’s made a lot of personal growth,” Olmstead said. “He’ll tell you that. He got married, he got a lot stronger mentally and has the right priorities, what to focus on. Trent brings size, physicality and leadership. I’ve put it on him to help the young kids because he’s had unbelievable experience, and that’s brought great team culture.”

Moser is joined by three other GCU refugees in Kyle Zediker (6-5 So. S), Connor Oldani (6-5 So. RS) and Max Phillipe (6-6 Fr. MB). Olmstead said his three starting pin hitters will be Moser, 6-5 junior Teilon-Jonathan Tafuga (1.88 kills per set, .268 in 2025) and Oldani, who has moved to the right side.

“Connor is a team player with a great attitude,” Olmstead said. “We came back from Christmas and felt like we needed to get him reps on the right side. We went to him last week and said, ‘Connor, you’re one of our three best pin hitters and we want to get all three of them on the floor.’

“There was no pause in his response. He just said, ‘I’ll do whatever you want.’”

Oldani was a second team AVCA All-American at Brophy High School in Arizona before starting his college career at GCU.

The future

The freshman class includes two-time Utah 5A state MVP Trey Thornton (6-6 OH), legacy outside hitter Corbin Batista (son of former Cougar standout Victor Batista), Trevor Herget (6-3 OH), AJ Cottle (6-8 MB), returned missionary Tennison Lighthall (6-6 OH/OPP), Tyler James Johnson (6-0 S) and Phillipe.

“Our freshmen are good but they are still navigating things,” Olmstead said. “We need to get a pulse on that but what you’re going to see across the board is a volleyball level and a physicality we’ve never had with that many kids together in a freshman class. I can tell you that Trevor Herget just flies out of the gym and Tennison came back from his mission a man among boys.”

Running it back

The Cougars are solid at setter with 6-2 senior Tyler Herget (9.59 assists, 1.62 digs per set) returning for his third season as the starter.

“Tyler is just our ‘Steady Eddie,’” Olmstead said. “I’m not the kind of coach that’s looking to recruit for flashy and Tyler has exactly what we’re looking for in a setter. He’s coachable and looks at the game like I do. It’s his last year, his last hurrah and we’re excited for him.”

The libero spot will be held down by 6-0 senior Jackson Fife (294 career digs), another two-year starter. Versatile Bernardo Adam (6-3 Sr. libero) has great energy and serving specialist Ian Little (6-5 Jr. OH) is a lefty who can contribute.

In the middle, the competition has been strong between Cottle, returner Gavin Chambers (6-9 So.) and Phillipe to replace Taylor and Niko Hales, who started as a freshman and is serving a church mission in Barcelona, Spain.

The schedule

Olmstead has never shied away from playing big matches, but the expansion of the men’s college game has created a different kind of schedule for the Cougars in 2026. Some of it is built in: Concordia, Menlo College and Vanguard have joined the MPSF in the past few seasons and this year the addition of UC Merced and Jessup makes it a 10-team league.

In an effort to help grow the men’s game, BYU opens with a pair of matches against St. Francis and also plays Lincoln Memorial, Merrimack and Fort Valley.

There are still those big matches as well, with the Cougars facing No. 6 UC Irvine and No. 17 UCSB in the non-conference and No. 9 Stanford, No. 4 Pepperdine, No. 5 USC and top-ranked UCLA in MPSF play.

Outlook

The NCAA had expanded the post-season tournament to 12 teams, which is a big deal for a BYU program that has been just short of qualification throughout the past dozen years. Tough facts: The Cougars have ended their season with a five-set loss ten times since 2004. More recently, BYU’s past four losses in the MPSF Tournament have all be in five sets.

“Right now I can tell you the kind of team were are,” Olmstead said. “We’ve been very consistent. We’re a pretty physical group and can still get a little more fine tuned. There is unbelievable effort on every play, which we need. I think we’ll have better floor defense than what we’ve had in the past. We’ve been a dominant blocking program but I felt like we were not giving ourselves enough chances with our defense. We’ve talked a lot about that, about putting our guys in situations where they need to find a way to win, to be assertive and smart. I think we’ve got some guys like that this year who aren’t afraid to put the team on their shoulders.”

BYU Men’s Volleyball

Five Things to Watch in 2026

1. Introduction are in order

BYU fans will need to consult the game program to get it all straight with 11 players who weren’t on last year’s roster.

2. Welcome home

Trent Moser, who played for the Cougars in 2023 and 2024, transferred to Grand Canyon and had a terrific year in 2025. He’s back — bringing three other GCU players with him — and will make a huge difference as one of BYU’s top pin hitter.

3. Gaining momentum

There are some huge MPSF matches at the end of the regular season schedule, so it will be important for the Cougars to pick up good wins and confidence in the non-conference.

4. Home sweet home

The Smith Fieldhouse continues to be the hottest ticket on campus and one of the best places in the country to watch a college volleyball match. Last year, BYU was second in the country in average home attendance (3,994).

5. Big finish

BYU’s last four losses in the MPSF Tournament have all been in five sets. Somehow, the Cougars need to find a way to come out on top in close matches to get to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2021.

LOS ANGELES – No. 5 USC men’s volleyball (0-0) opens the 2026 season on Saturday (Jan. 10) at home against St. Thomas Aquinas (0-0). The Trojans and Spartans meet for the first time with first serve set for 5 p.m. PT at Galen Center.
 
The Trojans were 11-3 on their home floor last spring and are 7-3 in season openers under 11th-year head coach Jeff Nygaard. USC returns the lion’s share of a squad that ranked as high as No. 3 in 2025, finished second in the MPSF standings, and advanced to the conference championship match. Five Trojan returners were recognized by the AVCA’s All-America committee including first-team selection OH Dillon Klein and second-team choice MB Parker Tomkinson. S Caleb Blanchette, LIB Johnny Dykstra, and OH Sterling Foley all received All-America honorable mention.
 
Among notable departures, USC will need to replace points scored by OPP Jack Deuchar and must find someone to step in for the departed MB Guy Genis. OPP Noah Roberts and OH Christian Connell were each notable contributors last season and the Trojans benefit from the return of MB Wesley Smith who sat out the 2025 season due to injury.

MATCH #1 • Saturday, January 10 • 5 p.m. PT

No. 5 USC (0-0) vs. St. Thomas Aquinas (0-0)

Galen Center • Los Angeles, Calif.

SERIES RECORD: First meeting

TV/STREAM: B1G+ (Andrew Giesler & Alex Buettgen)

OPPONENT WEBSITE: STACAthletics.com

FIRST SERVE (TL;DR)

• USC is led by 11th-year head coach Jeff Nygaard, a three-time Olympian in indoor and beach volleyball and a two-time NCAA champion.
• The Trojans are ranked fifth in the AVCA Preseason Coaches Poll.
• USC is 35-21 all-time in season openers; 7-3 under Nygaard.
• For the third year in a row, USC will open its season with an opponent it meets for the first time: Fort Valley State (2024), Daemen (2025).
• Last year, the Trojans went 11-3 at home and only lost to a No. 2-ranked UC Irvine and twice to 13th-ranked Stanford.
• USC returns five players that were recognized by the AVCA All-America committee in 2025 including first-team choice OH Dillon Klein and second-team selection MB Parker Tomkinson. S Caleb Blanchette, OH Sterling Foley, and LIB Johnny Dykstra each received All-America honorable mention.
• The Men of Troy will play 16 home matches in 2026 and will play in Southern California for all but two regular-season matches (at BYU, April 10-11).
• In 2025, the Trojans the NCAA in blocks (2.86 bps) and led the MPSF in kills (13.11 kps, 5th NCAA), assists (12.24 aps, 3rd NCAA), and digs (8.82 dps). USC was also second in the MPSF in hitting percentage (.344, 4th NCAA).

ROCK HILL, S.C. — Winthrop University volleyball Head Coach Heather Gearhart has announced two transfers to Rock Hill for the 2026 squad, Kimanni Rugley, a middle blocker from Pearland, Texas and Cami Roberts, a setter from Myrtle Beach, S.C. 

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Kimanni Rugley | Middle Blocker | 6’1 | Pearland, Texas | North Dakota 

Rugley is joining the Eagles after spending her freshman season at North Dakota, where she appeared in 66 sets, totaling 77 kills, 107.0 points, 42.0 total blocks all while hitting a .232 clip. 

Rugley hit a career-high .818 with nine kills against UT Martin, for the highest hit percentage in a five-set match in UND history and achieved seven games with five or more kills. 

In her high school career, finished as a senior with a .449 attack percentage, ranking among the top 45 marks nationally and fourth in the state of Texas. She was a three-time All-District selection, earning first-team honors in 2022 and 2023, and was named conference offensive player of the year twice (2022, 2023) after being tabbed conference defensive player of the year in 2021. She was named conference MVP in 2023, earned two All-America selections, and was part of 143 wins over four seasons at PHS. 

Rugley on why she chose Winthrop: 
“The campus and gym are really gorgeous, after talking with Coach Heather and hearing about the goals she has for the team it was not only best for her but best for me and the team and I’m so excited to become a part of the group.” 

Gearhart on Rugley: 
“I am excited to have Kimanni join us after a strong start to her collegiate career. She will strengthen our middle group and be a great physical presence on both sides of the ball. The energy she plays with is infectious, and we are excited to have her personality join our group. She is going to add a lot to our program on and off the court right away.” 

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Cami Roberts | Setter | 6’0 | Myrtle Beach, S.C. | Johnson County CC 

Roberts is joining Winthrop after a year at Johnson County Community College in Kansas, after playing in 29 sets, totaling 148 assists for 5.10 assists per set. 

Roberts collected a career-high 38 assists against Central Methodist University JV in just three sets. 

The South Carolina native won districts with Grand Strand Juniors/Coast United and punched a ticket to the national tournament and was ranked 9th nationally. 

Off the court, Roberts was the vice president and one of the founders at my club called the One Love club in high school and went to Washington D.C. to speak to representatives to get it placed in all high schools and I was a leader at FCA at my previous university. 

Roberts on why she chose Winthrop: 
“I chose Winthrop because I absolutely fell in love with the campus and the people when I went my junior year and also, I wanted to be closer to home because I’m a big family girl. And I just love the environment and Rock Hill in general.” 

Gearhart on Roberts: 
“I am looking forward to adding Cami to our program after having known her for several years. She is a very steady competitor and will add a calm demeanor on the second contact for us. Cami has a ton of potential still left in her game, and I am excited to see her development take off in our gym. She is a well-rounded person in general that will fit right in with our culture, and I am so happy to have her back in her home state.” 

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UCSD subs: Hornyak, Ethan.

UCSD subs: Hornyak, Ethan.

—

UCSD subs: Ewert, Josh; Bartelt, Will; Powell, Aidan.

UCSD subs: Ewert, Josh; Bartelt, Will; Powell, Aidan.

UCSD

1-0

[Powell, Aidan] Kill by Wieberg, Billy (from Giraud, Jariel).

[Powell, Aidan] Kill by Wieberg, Billy (from Giraud, Jariel).

1

0

Daemen

2-0

[Wieberg, Billy] Service ace (Sani, Sebastiano).

[Wieberg, Billy] Service ace (Sani, Sebastiano).

2

0

Daemen

2-1

[Wieberg, Billy] Kill by Selcho, Peter (from Wurl, Cameron).

2

1

[Wieberg, Billy] Kill by Selcho, Peter (from Wurl, Cameron).

UCSD

2-2

[Selcho, Peter] Service ace (Rooney, Jack).

2

2

[Selcho, Peter] Service ace (Rooney, Jack).

UCSD

2-3

[Selcho, Peter] Kill by Sani, Sebastiano (from Wiemelt, Leo), block error by Giraud, Jariel.

2

3

[Selcho, Peter] Kill by Sani, Sebastiano (from Wiemelt, Leo), block error by Giraud, Jariel.

UCSD

3-3

[Selcho, Peter] Kill by Mullen, Patrick (from Giraud, Jariel).

[Selcho, Peter] Kill by Mullen, Patrick (from Giraud, Jariel).

3

3

Daemen

3-4

[O’Neil, Maverick] Service error.

3

4

[O’Neil, Maverick] Service error.

UCSD

4-4

[Pravednikov, Leo] Service error.

[Pravednikov, Leo] Service error.

4

4

Daemen

5-4

[Giraud, Jariel] Attack error by Sani, Sebastiano (block by Mullen, Patrick; Leicht, Peter).

[Giraud, Jariel] Attack error by Sani, Sebastiano (block by Mullen, Patrick; Leicht, Peter).

5

4

Daemen

6-4

[Giraud, Jariel] Attack error by Pravednikov, Leo (from Wurl, Cameron).

[Giraud, Jariel] Attack error by Pravednikov, Leo (from Wurl, Cameron).

6

4

Daemen

7-4

[Giraud, Jariel] Attack error by Sani, Sebastiano (from Giraud, Jariel).

[Giraud, Jariel] Attack error by Sani, Sebastiano (from Giraud, Jariel).

7

4

Daemen

7-5

[Giraud, Jariel] Service error.

7

5

[Giraud, Jariel] Service error.

UCSD

8-5

[Sani, Sebastiano] Kill by Rooney, Jack (from Zelasko, Kyle).

[Sani, Sebastiano] Kill by Rooney, Jack (from Zelasko, Kyle).

8

5

Daemen

8-6

[Rooney, Jack] Attack error by Wieberg, Billy (block by Wurl, Cameron; Wiemelt, Leo).

8

6

[Rooney, Jack] Attack error by Wieberg, Billy (block by Wurl, Cameron; Wiemelt, Leo).

UCSD

9-6

[Wiemelt, Leo] Kill by Mullen, Patrick (from Zelasko, Kyle).

[Wiemelt, Leo] Kill by Mullen, Patrick (from Zelasko, Kyle).

9

6

Daemen

9-7

[Leicht, Peter] Service error.

9

7

[Leicht, Peter] Service error.

UCSD

10-7

[Wurl, Cameron] Kill by Wieberg, Billy (from Zelasko, Kyle).

[Wurl, Cameron] Kill by Wieberg, Billy (from Zelasko, Kyle).

10

7

Daemen

11-7

[Mullen, Patrick] Attack error by Pravednikov, Leo (from Wurl, Cameron).

[Mullen, Patrick] Attack error by Pravednikov, Leo (from Wurl, Cameron).

11

7

Daemen

11-8

[Mullen, Patrick] Kill by Pravednikov, Leo (from Sani, Sebastiano).

11

8

[Mullen, Patrick] Kill by Pravednikov, Leo (from Sani, Sebastiano).

UCSD

11-9

[Powell, Aidan] Kill by Sani, Sebastiano (from Wurl, Cameron).

11

9

[Powell, Aidan] Kill by Sani, Sebastiano (from Wurl, Cameron).

UCSD

12-9

[Powell, Aidan] Kill by Giraud, Jariel (from Wieberg, Billy).

[Powell, Aidan] Kill by Giraud, Jariel (from Wieberg, Billy).

12

9

Daemen

13-9

[Wieberg, Billy] Attack error by Selcho, Peter (from Wurl, Cameron).

[Wieberg, Billy] Attack error by Selcho, Peter (from Wurl, Cameron).

13

9

Daemen

13-10

[Wieberg, Billy] Service error.

13

10

[Wieberg, Billy] Service error.

UCSD

14-10

[Selcho, Peter] Service error.

[Selcho, Peter] Service error.

14

10

Daemen

14-11

[O’Neil, Maverick] Service error.

14

11

[O’Neil, Maverick] Service error.

UCSD

15-11

[Pravednikov, Leo] Service error.

[Pravednikov, Leo] Service error.

15

11

—

UCSD subs: Luers, John; Bartelt, Will.

UCSD subs: Luers, John; Bartelt, Will.

Daemen

15-12

[Giraud, Jariel] Kill by Bartelt, Will (from Luers, John).

15

12

[Giraud, Jariel] Kill by Bartelt, Will (from Luers, John).

UCSD

16-12

[Sani, Sebastiano] Service error.

[Sani, Sebastiano] Service error.

16

12

Daemen

16-13

[Rooney, Jack] Service error.

16

13

[Rooney, Jack] Service error.

UCSD

17-13

[Wiemelt, Leo] Attack error by Bartelt, Will (from Sani, Sebastiano).

[Wiemelt, Leo] Attack error by Bartelt, Will (from Sani, Sebastiano).

17

13

—

Daemen subs: Basinski, Jake.

Daemen subs: Basinski, Jake.

Daemen

17-14

[Basinski, Jake] Kill by Selcho, Peter (from Luers, John).

17

14

[Basinski, Jake] Kill by Selcho, Peter (from Luers, John).

UCSD

17-15

[Wurl, Cameron] Attack error by O’Neil, Maverick (from Giraud, Jariel).

17

15

[Wurl, Cameron] Attack error by O’Neil, Maverick (from Giraud, Jariel).

UCSD

18-15

[Wurl, Cameron] Kill by Mullen, Patrick (from Giraud, Jariel).

[Wurl, Cameron] Kill by Mullen, Patrick (from Giraud, Jariel).

18

15

Daemen

19-15

[Mullen, Patrick] Kill by Wieberg, Billy.

[Mullen, Patrick] Kill by Wieberg, Billy.

19

15

Daemen

20-15

[Mullen, Patrick] Attack error by Pravednikov, Leo (from Wurl, Cameron).

[Mullen, Patrick] Attack error by Pravednikov, Leo (from Wurl, Cameron).

20

15

Daemen

20-16

[Mullen, Patrick] Kill by Sani, Sebastiano (from Wurl, Cameron).

20

16

[Mullen, Patrick] Kill by Sani, Sebastiano (from Wurl, Cameron).

UCSD

21-16

[Powell, Aidan] Service error.

[Powell, Aidan] Service error.

21

16

Daemen

22-16

[Wieberg, Billy] Service ace (Selcho, Peter).

[Wieberg, Billy] Service ace (Selcho, Peter).

22

16

Daemen

22-17

[Wieberg, Billy] Kill by Sani, Sebastiano (from Wurl, Cameron).

22

17

[Wieberg, Billy] Kill by Sani, Sebastiano (from Wurl, Cameron).

UCSD

23-17

[Selcho, Peter] Kill by O’Neil, Maverick (from Giraud, Jariel).

[Selcho, Peter] Kill by O’Neil, Maverick (from Giraud, Jariel).

23

17

—

Daemen subs: Bly, Johnaustin.

Daemen subs: Bly, Johnaustin.

Daemen

23-18

[Bly, Johnaustin] Service error.

23

18

[Bly, Johnaustin] Service error.

UCSD

24-18

[Pravednikov, Leo] Kill by Rooney, Jack (from Giraud, Jariel).

[Pravednikov, Leo] Kill by Rooney, Jack (from Giraud, Jariel).

24

18

Daemen

24-19

[Giraud, Jariel] Service error.

24

19

[Giraud, Jariel] Service error.

UCSD

24-20

[Sani, Sebastiano] Kill by Mullen, Patrick (from Giraud, Jariel), block error by Wurl, Cameron.

24

20

[Sani, Sebastiano] Kill by Mullen, Patrick (from Giraud, Jariel), block error by Wurl, Cameron.

UCSD

24-21

[Sani, Sebastiano] Attack error by Rooney, Jack (block by Wiemelt, Leo; Powell, Aidan).

24

21

[Sani, Sebastiano] Attack error by Rooney, Jack (block by Wiemelt, Leo; Powell, Aidan).

UCSD

25-21

[Sani, Sebastiano] Attack error by Pravednikov, Leo (block by Leicht, Peter).

[Sani, Sebastiano] Attack error by Pravednikov, Leo (block by Leicht, Peter).

25

21

Honolulu, Hawaii – Loyola Chicago earned its first win of the 2026 season in dramatic fashion, knocking off No. 2 Hawai’i in a four-set thriller on Friday, Jan. 9. The Ramblers piled up 15 blocks on the way to victory, stunning over 6,650 fans at the Stan Sheriff Center. 

Aleksandar Sosa was a menace on the court, pacing Loyola’s attack with a match-high 19 kills on .378 hitting and earning himself Player of the Game. Setter Ryan McElligott recorded a double-double behind 40 assists and 11 digs. Libero JJ Sowa also reached double-digit digs (14) and from the front row, Aidan Klein, Daniel Fabikovic and Brad Bell each contributed six blocks. 

Coach Quote: Shane Davis

“I’m incredibly proud of how our guys responded tonight. This team showed toughness, maturity and belief. Aleksandar Sosa was huge for us tonight, he played with confidence and just had fun. This was a total team effort, between Ryan and Jake Read, our middles; it was a big step forward for us early in the season.”

How It Happened

SET 1 | The Ramblers set the tone early, trading points through the opening stretch before pulling ahead behind strong play at the net and service line. The front row had six blocks, led by Brad Bell (3), and McElligott served four aces, including the set-winner. Sosa powered the offense with eight kills and Loyola took the first set 25-23. 

SET 2 | Loyola built on a set-one win by securing a 25-22 victory in the second. Neither team led by more than two for most of the frame, which saw 15 tied scores and five lead changes. After the lead changed hands four times, the Ramblers took control at 22-21 and had the advantage through the end. Read stuffed the set-winning block to take a commanding 2-0 lead. 

SET 3 | Hawai’i refused to go quietly and avoided a sweep with a third-set win to make it 2-1. The Rainbow Warriors erased a seven point Ramblers’ lead and tied the nail-biting frame at 23-23 before taking it 26-24. 

SET 4 | Determined to close it out, Loyola jumped out early in the fourth set, using its block and serve to disrupt Hawai’i’s momentum. Fabikovic led the offense with five kills and helped the Ramblers’ defense frustrate the Rainbow Warriors into errors. Hawai’i made a late push, but Loyola answered every run and sealed the match on a block by Bell and Fabikovic. 

Inside the Box Score

• Read was a game-changer, contributing eight kills, eight digs, three blocks (one solo, two assists), two assists and an ace. 
• Klein recorded a career-high six blocks and his best hitting clip to date (.538). 
• McElligott had a career-high five services aces and matched his career-high 11 digs.

Up Next

The Ramblers head to the First Point Collegiate Challenge in Phoenix, Ariz. to face the Stanford Cardinals (Jan. 17) and UCLA Bruins (Jan. 18). 

PROVO, Utah — Trent Moser’s game-high 14 kills along with Tyler Herget’s 35 assists powered No. 8 BYU men’s volleyball over Saint Francis (25-22, 25-20, 25-18) in a 3-0 sweep.

For a team that lost a number of key contributors from last season, Moser’s return to the team after a season at Grand Canyon, combined with the emergence of both new and returning players, has the Cougars in a spot that Head Coach Shawn Olmstead is excited about.

“I’m happy for them,” Olmstead said. “They needed to get out here and shake their wings and get the rust off a little. I’m excited for everybody to see this team that we’ve seen, but it’s not close to the level these guys will be at.”

In the Cougar attack, returning junior Teilon-Jonathan Tufuga contributed nine kills in the victory. Freshman AJ Cottle cashed in eight kills on 10 swings and four blocks. Freshman Trevor Herget racked up three aces, including back-to-back aces on the first two serves of his collegiate career. Sophomore Connor Oldani added six kills and a career-high 10 digs. Oldani also transferred to BYU along with Moser.

“It feels so good to have this much support,” Moser said. “The first set today felt kind of weird, honestly. I felt like I was here yesterday. It’s been two years, so I’m happy to be back.”

BYU out-hit Saint Francis .310 to .164 in the win. The Cougars out-killed the Red Flash by 18 (42-24), digs by 14 (30-16), blocks by three (7-4) and had three less service errors (15-12).

Set 1

After a 2-2 start, which included a Moser kill as the first Cougar point of the season, BYU went on a 3-0 run. Back-to-back aces were recorded by Tufuga. The Cougars then added on a 4-0 run after some back-and-forth scoring. Moser and Gavin Chambers added to the kill count in the run. At the media timeout, the Cougars led 15-8.

The Red Flash countered BYU’s attack with a 5-0 run of their own and three consecutive aces in the run. Out of a Cougar timeout, Saint Francis chipped away BYU’s lead and tied it up 16-16.

The Cougars regained their lead thanks to kills by Tufuga, Cottle and two by Moser to go up 21-18. BYU capped off the set 25-22 with Moser’s seventh kill at set point to take a 1-0 match lead.

Set 2

The Red Flash were first to make a statement and began the set with a 3-0 run that included two Saint Francis kills. A Tufuga ace would then tie it 3-3 before the Red Flash gradually increased its lead to five, 14-9.

BYU responded to the deficit with a 6-1 run and took its first lead of the set at 16-15. Kills by Chambers, Oldani, and Moser along with three Cougar blocks attributed to the momentum swing. 

After both squads traded points, the Cougar lead grew to four, 22-18, with freshman Trevor Herget posting back-to-back aces on the first two serves of his career. Tufuga closed out the set with three straight kills to help BYU win the second set 25-20. 

Set 3

Following a 3-3 draw to start the third, Saint Francis tacked on a 3-0 run which included three BYU errors. Cottle then recorded three kills as BYU fought back to tie it up 7-7.

Each team exchanged scores until the Cougars took charge with two Moser kills and an Oldani kill in the midst of a 4-0 run. Then, Cottle got a kill and shared a block to extend BYU’s lead to six, 18-12, forcing a Red Flash timeout.

A string of errors from both sides, five by Saint Francis and three by BYU, made the score 23-16 in favor of the Cougars. A kill by Trevor Herget to force match point and another kill sealed the set and match to give BYU the 3-0 sweep over the Red Flash. 

Up Next

These same two teams will face each other again tomorrow night at 7 p.m. The match can be viewed live on Big Ten Plus and on-demand at BYUtv.org and the BYUtv App after 10 p.m.