BYU women’s volleyball opened the doTerra Classic with a convincing straight-sets win over Farleigh Dickinson, showing off its powerful offense in front of a lively Smith Fieldhouse crowd.
Freshman Suli Davis was as advertised in her debut, piling up 13 kills and hitting .458 as BYU cruised to a 25-16, 25-12, 25-15 victory over the Knights. A notable highlight of the night was junior Sophia Callahan’s surprise start at opposite hitter. She delivered six kills on 11 swings with zero errors for a .545 hitting percentage, along with two aces, three digs and three block assists against FDU.
Callahan, a 6-foot-2 return missionary from Encinitas, California, had been a reserve in 2021 and 2022 before serving a church mission in Arequipa, Peru. She returned in January and has been carving out a role this season. “Volleyball is like riding a bike,” Callahan said. “I got back to volleyball pretty quickly, but it was the strength that took time. I’ve been working in the weight room all offseason and I feel like I’m back to where I was.”
BYU’s offense clicked from the start. Preseason Big 12 Player of the Year Claire Little Chambers, who sat out much of the third set, still finished with eight kills on a .353 clip. The Cougars hit .560 in the second set and .478 in the third, while piling up eight blocks and 13 aces as a team. Alex Bower ran the offense efficiently with 29 assists, helping BYU consistently pressure the Knights and control the match.
The Cougars built a 1-0 lead by taking the opening frame 25-16, then pulled away in Set 2 with four kills apiece from Davis, Little Chambers and Callahan. A late stretch that featured a Callahan-Kemavor block combination and a pair of Little Chambers aces sealed the 25-12 win. BYU closed Set 3 with another strong run, aided by Hannah Billeter’s serve for an early 11-6 edge and a late ace from Billeter at 23-14 before Davis finished with her 13th kill.
Head coach Heather Olmstead praised the energy at Smith Fieldhouse and the way this group has been pushing each other. “We had focus and had fun. We brought great energy. It was electric. Alex ran a great offense,” she said.
BYU now moves to a second-day matchup against Central Michigan later Friday and concludes the Classic with a 4 p.m. MT showdown versus High Point on Saturday.
Summary: BYU demonstrated its depth and relentless offense in a decisive 3-0 sweep, with standout contributions from Davis (13 kills) and Callahan (6 kills, .545 hitting, plus two aces and three blocks). The win sets a strong tone for the Cougars as they begin the season with momentum and a clear sense of leadership and chemistry on the court. Positive momentum and improved depth give BYU fans reasons to be optimistic about the season ahead.