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It looks like a glitch. Home record: 5-4. Road record: 8-2.

But it's no mistake. The road has been has been kind to Utah volleyball, which has upset five ranked opponents on the road this year. The challenge for coach Beth Launiere and the No. 19 Utes (16-7, 7-5) is finding out what has worked so well and bringing it back to the Huntsman Center.

"I don't know," Launiere said. "For some reason, we've played good on the road. We've got to find a way to bring it home."

The Utes are lined up for Friday and Saturday matches against Cal and No. 16 Stanford, respectively, and will change up their routine for the home meets. There will be a team dinner, and they'll arrive at the gym a little earlier than usual.

Those facets of preparation are part of the regular road schedule, and it has worked out well: Utah has scored Top-25 wins at BYU, Colorado, Stanford, Washington State and, most recently, USC. Utah's eight total road wins is the most the team has enjoyed since 2010.

Note to the Utes: winning on the road is supposed to be tougher, not easier. But there's something special in the preparation that brings the team closer before the matches, players said.

"I think it might just be that we're so focused," junior hitter Eliza Katoa said. "There's less distractions. That's just how it feels. We like to be in a little bubble, and it's nice to have people cheering against you, because it really brings you together."

Take this weekend: Utah's first-ever win at USC, 3-1. After dropping the first set, the Utes swept the final three, riding the hot hand of Adora Anae (25 kills) to knock out the Trojans. Defensively, Anae also had 25 digs, backed by freshman libero Brianna Doehrmann's 14 digs.

Having a go-to player such as Anae helps in adverse situations, Launiere admits, but it's been a whole-team mentality to enforce its will in hostile environments. USC had no answer for Utah's initial second-set charge (the Utes won 25-10), and only managed to fight back by the fourth set, when it was too late.

"It was honestly super fun playing against USC, because they're go, go, go all the time and make you play to your hardest level," Doehrmann said. "We did a really good job staying in the whole time. People say we're a five-set team, so winning in four is pretty cool."

Doehrmann said a sense of having nothing to lose has helped the Utes on the road. Utah has now been ranked in four straight weeks, and is on track to go back to the NCAA Tournament ­— and that will take more wins at home.

Launiere hopes the change-up will help eliminate the outside noise the Utes face when they travel. No word on whether the Utes will ask their fans to cheer against them; they hope it won't be necessary.

"We have to have that mentality at home," she said. "Us against the world."

Twitter: @kylegoon —

This weekend's matches

Friday • Cal at No. 18 Utah (16-7, 7-5 Pac-12) , 8 p.m., Pac-12 Network

Saturday • No. 13 Stanford at No. 18 Utah, 7 p.m., UtahUtes.com live stream