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Utah State will take to the road for a pair of Mountain West matches this week, beginning with Wyoming in Laramie, Wyo., on Thursday, Oct. 11, at 6:30 p.m. The trip wraps up at Colorado State on Saturday, Oct. 13, at 7 p.m.
Scouting the Cowgirls
Wyoming enters the match on Thursday night with an overall mark of 12-6, including a 4-2 ledger in Mountain West play. The Cowgirls won each of their last two matches, posting victories over Colorado State, 3-1, and Air Force, 3-2.
Wyoming is hitting .248 (867-297-2,299) as a team this season and is led individually by senior outside Emily Lewis with 153 kills, averaging 2.43 per set. In all, the Cowgirls have five players averaging over two kills per set in Lewis, junior outside Halie McArdle (2.11 kps), senior middle Reed Copeland (2.10 kps), junior outside Tara Traphagan (2.07 kps) and sophomore middle Jackie McBride (2.03 kps). Wyoming runs a 6-2 with junior Cori Aafedt and sophomore Marissa Harmon sharing the setting duties, totaling 414 and 186 assists and averaging 6.09 and 4.43 per set, respectively.
Defensively, opponents are hitting .164 (838-443-2,405) against the Cowgirls, which ranks second in the Mountain West. Junior libero Madi Fields leads the Cowgirl back row with 294 digs, averaging 4.45 per set to rank second in the Mountain West. Copeland leads the Wyoming block with 121 on the year, averaging 1.78 per set to rank No. 1 in the Mountain West this year.
Head coach Chad Callihan is in his sixth season at the helm in Laramie
Scouting the Rams
Colorado State will host Boise State on Thursday before welcoming the Aggies to Moby Arena on Saturday. Currently, CSU is 12-6 on the year and 4-2 in league play after losing two of its last three conference matches.
The Rams are hitting .249 (871-341-2,126) as a team this season and led individually by redshirt sophomore outside Breana Runnels with 266 kills, averaging 4.03 per set. Junior setter Katie Oleksak has directed the CSU attack all year, totaling 737 assists and averaging a Mountain West-best 11.17 per set.
Defensively, opponents have hit .172 against the Rams. Junior middle Paulina Hougaard-Jensen leads the CSU block with 83, averaging 1.26 per set, followed closely by redshirt junior middle Kirstie Hillyer with 77, averaging 1.17 per set. Junior outside Olivia Nicholson leads the CSU back row with 174 digs, averaging 3.00 per set.
Head coach Tom Hilbert is the longest-tenured head coach in the Mountain West, entering his 22nd year with the Rams in 2018.
Hitting Victories
Utah State has been fairly even statistically in every match this season in wins and losses, with the exception of its hitting percentage. In Utah State's wins this year, USU is hitting .237 (169-60-460), but is hitting just .155 (582-295-1,851) in its losses.
Rising in the Record Book
Senior setter Kassidy Johnson recently eclipsed 2,000 career assists and moved to No. 8 on the all-time assists list in Utah State history.
Utah State career assists (6-10)
6. Stephanie Maurer - 2,618 (1984-87)
7. Andrea Delsigne - 2,265 (2001-03)
8. Kassidy Johnson - 2,031 (2015- )
9. Randi Winn - 2,025 (1992-93)
10. Dominique Arsenault - 1,965 (2003-05)
Digging 20's
Senior libero Tasia Taylor has recorded 20 or more digs in seven matches this season, matching her total over the first 17 games last season.
Aggie Block Party
Utah State has totaled more blocks than its opponents this season, collecting 172.5 to the opposition's 142.0.
Double the Block Party
Utah State has recorded double-digit blocks in three of the last four matches and in 10 matches overall this season. The 10 matches already equals the total number of double-digit block outings by the Aggies last season.
Block Party in All But Four
Utah State has matched or exceeded its opponents in total blocks in all but four matches this season.
Current Blocking Leader
Freshman middle Corinne Larsen leads the USU block with 82 on the year, averaging 1.28 per set.
Freshman Blocking Prowess
Larsen is the first Aggie freshman to average more than one block per set since Hannah Smith averaged 1.36 per set as a freshman during the 2014 season.
