Utah State Match Notes | Live Stats | Watch Live
Utah State will close out the home portion of its 2018 schedule this week, hosting league-leading Colorado State on Thursday, Nov. 8, at 7 p.m., followed by the home finale against Wyoming on Saturday, Nov. 10, at 7:30 p.m.
How to Watch
Fans can follow each of the matches via live stat and live video links online at www.utahstateaggies.com.
Scouting the Rams
Colorado State enters the match on Thursday night with an overall mark of 20-6, including a 12-2 ledger in league play. The Rams are currently riding a nine-match winning streak.
CSU is leading the Mountain West in hitting percentage (.267), assists per set (12.68) and kills per set (13.52), and led individually by redshirt sophomore outside Breana Runnels with 4.10 kills per set, second in the MW. Junior middle Paulina Hougaard-Jensen is the most efficient hitter in the league, leading the MW with a .362 (238-61-489) clip. Junior setter Katie Oleksak leads the Mountain West with 11.55 assists per set.
Defensively, teams are hitting .159 (1,016-547-2,945) against the Rams, the lowest opponent hitting percentage in the league. Junior outside Olivia Nicholson leads the CSU back row with 2.99 digs per set, while Hougaard-Jensen leads the CSU block with 1.28 blocks per set. Hougaard-Jensen is followed by redshirt junior middle Kirstie Hillyer with 1.20 blocks per set, as the duo ranks fourth and sixth in the league.
Head coach Tom Hilbert is the longest-tenured head coach in the Mountain West, leading the Rams for 22 years.
Scouting the Cowgirls
Wyoming is currently 17-9 overall and 9-5 in the Mountain West. The Cowgirls will play at Boise State on Thursday, Nov. 8, before making the trip to Logan on Saturday, Nov. 10.
Wyoming is hitting .250 (1,278-439-3,362) as a team this season and is led individually by senior outside Emily Lewis with 228 kills, averaging 2.40 per set. In all, the Cowgirls have four players averaging over two kills per set in Lewis, junior outside Halie McArdle (2.36 kps), junior outside Tara Traphagan (2.10 kps) and senior middle Reed Copeland (2.10 kps). Wyoming has shared the setting duties among three players this season with junior setter Cori Aafedt leading the pack with 614 total assists, averaging 6.14 per set.
Defensively, opponents are hitting .168 (1,231-639-3,522) against the Cowgirls, which ranks second in the Mountain West. Junior libero Madi Fields leads the Cowgirl back row with 424 digs, averaging 4.33 per set to rank third in the Mountain West. Copeland leads the Wyoming block with 160 on the year, averaging 1.60 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.
