EPHRAIM, Utah (Oct. 31, 2019) -- Perhaps it was fitting that things got a little scary for the fifth-ranked Snow College women's volleyball on Halloween. After taking a 2-0 lead in the match against No. 12 Utah State Eastern, the Badgers found themselves down late in the set. Snow would come back, however, to win the match and claim its first outright, regular-season conference championship since 1986. With the win, the Badgers improved to 29-2 on the season, including a perfect 9-0 record against league opponents. 

After winning the first two sets, 25-20, 25-11, the Badgers dropped the third set, 21-25. In game four, USUE controlled most of the set, taking a 20-16 lead late in the game. The Eagles would serve for game point at 24-23, but a USUE violation tied things up at 24-24. The Eagles took a 25-24 lead and served once again for set point. A service error tied things up again and that is all the Badgers would need. Sophomore Bridget Triplett put up a solo block to give the Badgers a 26-25 lead, and on the ensuing play, the defense of Korrin Thornock forced a USUE hitting error to give the Badgers the 27-25 victory.  

"With Halloween and all, that fourth set was a bit scary," Snow College head coach Jeff Reynolds said. "Utah State Eastern played great in that third and fourth set. We knew we would have our work cut out for us. I have to hand it to our team though; I'm so pleased with how poised they were in making that comeback in the fourth set. We had a pretty big hill to climb and they just took care of business -- one point at a time. To me, that is a sign of a great team. I'm just so happy for this team and all they have accomplished so far this season."

The Badger trio of Andreanna McKee, Sarah Morley, and Thornock totaled 12 kills each and hit a combined .242 for the match. Freshman Lyida Montague chipped in eight kills on 14 attempts with just one error, while sophomore Marcie Stapely had four kills in the win. Triplett led the team with seven blocks on the night, including the stuff block that gave the Badgers the lead late in the fourth and final set. Freshman Ellee Anderson was credited with 40 assists. In addition to her 12 kills, Morley also racked up six blocks and a match-high 17 digs. 

Snow College will wrap up the regular-season on Saturday, Nov. 2 against Colorado Northwestern. Game time is slated for 1 p.m. at the Horne Activity Center in Ephraim. Snow will look to become the first Scenic West team since 2013 to finish the conference season with a perfect, 10-0, record. 

SUPERLATIVES
• Thursday's win is the 29th victory of the season, marking a school record for most wins in a single-season during the rally scoring era.
• The Badgers have won 18 straight, and 22 of their last 23 matches.
• Snow has posted a 5-0 record at home this season. 
• The Badgers have posted a 9-2 record against nationally-ranked opponents this season, including a streak of six straight wins over teams ranked in the top-15.
• The Badgers will be the No. 1 seed for the upcoming Region XVIII Tournament on Nov. 8-9. Utah State Eastern will be the No. 2 seed. Both teams will have a first-round bye. While the opponents have yet to be determined, Snow will play at 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 8. The tournament will be held at the Horne Activity Center in Ephraim.