BYU 2024

[pelagius]

BYU 2024

Social Media and Tickets: Facebook, X/Twitter, Instagram, Tickets

Next Spring Match: BYU vs Utah, April 12, 2024 6:00pm at the Huntsman Center

Expected Roster

name	position	height	class	type
Addie Benson	OH	6-2	Sophomore	returning
Hannah Billeter	L/DS	5-11	Junior	returning
Eden Bower	OH	6-3	Junior	returning
Silina Damuni	S	5-9	Sophomore	returning
Alyssa Erickson	OH	6-1	Junior	returning
Brielle Kemavor	MB	6-5	Sophomore	returning
Mia Lee	MB	6-0	Sophomore	returning
Claire Little	OH	6-3	Sophomore	returning
Brielle Miller	L/DS	5-5	Sophomore	returning
Kate Prior	Opp/MB	6-4	Junior	returning
Elyse Stowell	OH	6-2	Senior	returning
Kalia Thunstrom	S	5-10	Senior	returning
Kaieva Johnson	L/DS	5-8	Sophomore	transfer
Kjersti Strong	MB	6-4	Graduate	transfer
Blaykli Bobik	OH	6-0	Freshman	2024 class
Alex Bower	S	5-10	Freshman	2024 class
Abby Hoybjerg	MB/OH	6-2	Freshman	2024 class
Elina Mortensen	OH	6-2	Freshman	2024 class
Lulu Uluave	L/DS	5-9	Freshman	2024 class

Players Leaving

name	position	height	starter	reason
Whitney Bower	S	5-9	yes	No Eligibility
Kamaile Hiapo	L	5-7	yes	No Eligibility
Aria McComber	L/DS	5-6	yes	No Eligibility
Erin Livingston	OH	6-2	yes
Whitney Llarenas	MB	6-3	yes	No Eligibility

Commitments for the Class of 2025

name	position	height	year
Anna Blamires	RS	6-1	2025
Suli Davis	OH	6-2	2025
Kaylee Tingey	L/DS	5-9	2025

Questions

• Who will emerge as the starting setter? Right now, it looks like the competition is between Dumuni and Alex Bower.

• With Erin Livinstong leaving, what does the OH position looke like?

• Who is BYU's next Libero? Right now, the options seem to be Miller, Uluave, Johnson, or Billeter.

• Did Prior play well enough on the RS that it makes sense to continue to start her there?

• BYU has taken a bit of a step back since 2018; only making the sweet sixteen in 2 of the last 5 years, and 2 out of 4 times they were a top 16 seed. Are the prospects better going forward?

[pelagius]

Erin Livingston's return announcement. This has been known for quite a while and is posted in the 2023 thread, but it's probably worth noting the official announcement here:

http://instagram.com/p/C02twHsLWOB

Note, this has change as of April 2024:

http://instagram.com/p/C5l47kpPLvZ

[pelagius]

These have also been posted elsewhere but here are the 2024 signing or commitment posts:

Blaykli Bobik:

http://instagram.com/p/CznNXFYuFKb

Alex Bower:

http://instagram.com/p/CzsF6hXN6br

Abby Hoybjerg:

http://instagram.com/p/C0DGSyRJi1T

Elina Mortensen 

http://instagram.com/p/CqqWTs3OPKh

Lulu Uluave

http://instagram.com/p/ClFWt7gvWca

[pelagius]

Also, posted in the 2023 thread but here is Kaieva Johnson's transfer announcement too:

http://instagram.com/p/C0732eeJUBv

[Brutus Buckeye]

Who's going to be the oldest player next year? A redshirt, a covid exemption, and a sister missionary situation could theoretically produce a player 8 years out of HS.

[pelagius]

Dec 19, 2023 22:58:56 GMT -5 Brutus Buckeye said:

Who's going to be the oldest player next year? A redshirt, a covid exemption, and a sister missionary situation could theoretically produce a player 8 years out of HS.

I assume it's Livingston; she's part of the 2019 class. 

Allie Hakes is the only past player that could have fit your description. I believe she's attending BYU this year as a regular student.

Sophia Callahan is on a mission, but is unlikely to be back until 2025.

[bbg95]

BYU volleyball fans might be interested to know that BYU Radio has a podcast called Her Y. They do podcasts with various athletes on the women's teams at BYU. They've done a few with current or former volleyball players including Aria McComber, Kenzie Koerber and Kate Prior. I would also recommend the one with goalkeeper Lynette Hernaez, who was the starter for BYU's 2023 Final Four team and knew McComber at WSU. She seems like an amazing person.

[trojansc]

Like how many Bower's exist in the world and will BYU volleyball ever be without one on a volleyball roster ever again

and what happens when one rebels against the world and goes to Utah

[pelagius]

Dec 19, 2023 23:48:59 GMT -5 trojansc said:

Like how many Bower's exist in the world and will BYU volleyball ever be without one on a volleyball roster ever again

and what happens when one rebels against the world and goes to Utah

You can see in Alex Bower's signing pics that there are three more after Alex. I would like to make a deal where BYU gets one of the Burgess kids for a Bower swap (simply for some diversification).

[bbg95]

Dec 19, 2023 23:48:59 GMT -5 trojansc said:

Like how many Bower's exist in the world and will BYU volleyball ever be without one on a volleyball roster ever again

and what happens when one rebels against the world and goes to Utah

I believe there are seven Bower sisters. Alex is No. 4 behind Morgan, Whitney and Eden.

[pelagius]

Just posting the 2025 commitment announcements so we have them for a reference early in the thread:

Commitments for the Class of 2025

name	position	height	year
Anna Blamires	RS	6-1	2025
Suli Davis	OH	6-2	2025
Kaylee Tingey	L/DS	5-9	2025

Anna Blamires 

http://instagram.com/p/CuitcJfOj1r

Suli Davis

https://www.instagram.com/p/CyMeaPqrzzE

Kaylee Tingey 

http://instagram.com/p/Cw0aPtsg3dZ

[bbg95]

Dec 20, 2023 0:10:14 GMT -5 pelagius said:

Just posting the 2025 commitment announcements so we have them for a reference early in the thread:

Suli Davis

Suli Davis' commitment announcement is actually this video:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CyMeaPqrzzE

I think the one you had was just another post of her in BYU gear. Great job on the thread, by the way.

[pelagius]

Dec 20, 2023 0:17:39 GMT -5 bbg95 said:

Dec 20, 2023 0:10:14 GMT -5 pelagius said:

Just posting the 2025 commitment announcements so we have them for a reference early in the thread:

Suli Davis

Suli Davis' commitment announcement is actually this video:

I think the one you had was just another post of her in BYU gear. Great job on the thread, by the way.

You're right; will fix.

[azvb]

Thank you, pelagius

[pelagius]

In regard to Kaieva Johnson transfer. I tend to watch some Utah Volleyball so I do remember watching her play this last year. In particular, I remember her from their Utah State match early in the season and the Stanford match late in the season. She actually did play a lot of backrow for Utah as a DS. She played both in right back and center back for Utah at times. By the end of the season she was a regular DS and seemed to be rotating with Gibaldo; earlier in the season I think she rotated more often with the Opposite. In the middle of the season, she didn't play as much. For example, she didn't play much against BYU.

So here are my small sample impressions, done without stats, and subject to all kinds of cognitive biases. I actually think she's a pretty solid add. My small sample impression is that she's ahead of both both Billeter and Miller as passers, has a nice platform, and has good coverage range. I don't remember her serving much.

Is she going to become an elite or near elite backrow player, I doubt it (she does seem quite athletic so it's possible). I do think she's likely to be a solid backrow player for the next three years. I think she's the type of player that would be near ideal in the role as the number two backrow little behind a very good libero.