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LOGAN, Utah - Utah State volleyball will continue a two-match road trip this weekend when the Aggies play the Nevada Wolf Pack on Saturday at 2 p.m. (MT), in Reno, Nev.
USU enters the match fresh off a come-from-behind, five-set victory at San José State on Thursday night. Senior setter Kassidy Johnson logged her seventh double-double of the season, finishing the match with 38 assists and a team- and career-high 21 digs. The match marked the first since the 2014 season that an Aggie setter had led USU in digs, when Paige Neves recorded 13 in a match at Boise State on Oct. 14.
The duo of junior right side Izzie Hinton-Belnap and sophomore outside Gabbi Shumway led the attack against the Spartans, tallying 10 kills apiece. Hinton-Belnap was the most efficient outside, hitting .375 (10-1-24), while Utah State middles Lauren O'Brien and Corinne Larsen combined to hit .378 as O'Brien recorded eight kills on 14 attempts, without an error.
On the year, sophomore outside Bailey Downing leads the Utah State attack with 149 kills, averaging 2.66 per set, and is followed closely by Shumway with 141 kills, averaging 2.47 per set. Johnson has directed the attack all year long, totaling 502 assists and averaging 8.81 per set, while the Aggies are hitting .183 (622-281-1,865) overall.
Defensively, Larsen and O'Brien pace the Aggie block, totaling 76 and 63, respectively, to rank third and seventh in the Mountain West with 1.36 and 1.17 per set. Senior libero Tasia Taylor leads the USU back row, totaling 243 digs and averaging 4.26 per set to rank fourth in the league.
Nevada enters the match having lost each of its last five contests, including conference-opening defeats against Colorado State, Wyoming and Boise State. The Wolf Pack were swept in three sets by BSU on Thursday night.
Nevada is hitting .196 (637-273-1,859) this season and led individually by sophomore outside Kayla Afoa and junior outside Jamila Minor with 179 and 162 kills, respectively. Minor actually leads the team with 3.52 kills per set (fifth in the MW), followed by Afoa with 3.51 per set (sixth in the MW). Junior setter Dalyn Burns is effective when dumping the ball, leading the team with a .467 (23-2-45) hitting percentage, and directing the attack with 488 assists, averaging 9.76 per set (second in the MW).
Defensively, senior libero Mo Maluotoga leads the Nevada back row with 210 digs, averaging 4.29 per set (third in the MW), while redshirt freshman middle Hailey Maniglia leads the Wolf Pack block, totaling 34 on the year and averaging 0.67 per set. Opponents are hitting .216 (640-245-1,829) against the Wolf Pack this season.
Head coach Lee Nelson is in his fourth season, compiling an overall mark of 48-56 over that span, including a 2-3 record against the Aggies.
Fans can follow the match against the Wolf Pack via live stat and live video links on the USU volleyball schedule page, online at www.utahstateaggies.com.
Follow the Aggie volleyball program on Twitter @USUVolleyball, on Facebook at USUVolleyball or on Instagram at @usuvolleyball. Aggie fans can also follow the Utah State athletic program at @USUAthletics, on Facebook at Utah State University Athletics or on Instagram at @USUAthletics.
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