"Everyone worked so hard," said senior Emillie Toone, who said last year's seniors all but predicted a MWC title. "We completed a lot. The NCAAs baby. The NCAAs."
A loss would have left Utah tied with Colorado State (22-5, 12-4). The Rams would have owned the tie breaker for the automatic NCAA bid. CSU had beaten the Utes earlier this season.
Utah prevailed 18-25, 27-25, 25-18, 25-23, but skirted within a hair of being down 2-0. It took a gritty, hair-raising victory in the second game that set the tone for the remaining action.
The Utes battled through a run of seven consecutive CSU points, two scrambling rallies that saw the Rams win points and an injury to Utah middle blocker Chelsea Sandberg. In the end, the Utes prevailed following an extended point that saw each team diving to the court for digs.
Kathryn Haynie's bullet kill won the game and, ultimately, the match.
"That was the biggest point of the match," Launiere said. "To be down 2-0 against Colorado State, that's asking too much."
BYU def. Wyoming 3-1: Brigham Young said goodbye to its two seniors in style as Rachel Dyer and Bryn Porter helped lead the Cougars to victory over Wyoming (25-19, 25-20, 25-16). With a win over No. 15 Colorado State on Thursday and the sweep of the Cowgirls, BYU finishes the 2008 season with a 14-12 record and 7-9 Mountain West Conference mark.
UVU def. CS Bakersfield 3-1: For the second year in a row, Utah Valley University is NCAA Division I Independent Champion.
The Wolverines (13-12) beat Cal State Bakersfield (19-15) in five sets (17-25, 25-20, 34-36, 25-22, 16-14) in the team's last match of the season to win the Championship on their home court.
Weber State def. Montana State 3-0: Weber State wrapped up its regular season with a 3-0 sweep of Montana State at the Swenson Gym.
The 25-19, 26-24, 25-16 victory gives Weber State 20 wins on the season for the first time in six years.
Women's basketball
Idaho State 58, USU 43: Utah State lost its second straight battle against the Bengals at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum.
The 43 points is the least scored by a USU team since a 69-42 loss at Hawaii on Feb. 7, 2008.
Men's basketball
Tennessee Tech 69,
Southern Utah 68: Will Barnes made a free throw with 6 seconds remaining to lift Tennessee Tech over Southern Utah at Cookeville, Tenn.
Davis Baker and Eules Thompson scored 16 points apiece for Southern Utah, which fell to 1-2 on the season.
Utah Valley 71, La.-Lafayette 41 : Utah Valley's senior guards Josh Olsen and Ryan Toolson led the Wolverines to their third straight victory in the McKay Center to earn the program's best start in its NCAA history.
The last time UVU started 2-0 was in 2006 season, the year the team finished with a 22-7 record.
Westminster 81, College of Idaho 71: No. 13 Westminster won its third Golden Rule Shoot-Out title in four years. All-tournament team member Geoff Payne led the Griffins (8-0) with 21 points and 10 rebounds as the Griffins built a 22-point second half lead and hung on.
