BACK IN ACTION
Utah State's volleyball team (2-16, 2-4 MW) continues its 2019 season this week with a pair of Mountain West home matches. The Aggies are set to take on the two top teams in the conference, playing against Wyoming (10-7, 5-1 MW) on Thursday, Oct. 17, at 7 p.m., and No. 14 Colorado State (16-1, 6-0 MW) on Saturday, Oct. 19, at 1 p.m.
FOLLOW ALONG
All 2019 Mountain West matches, along with all of Utah State's home matches, will be broadcast as a USU Athletics Production on the Mountain West Network. All video feeds will be available live and in archive form at utahstateaggies.com/watch. Live stats will also be provided by SIDEARM for all home games, while road contests will also have live stats available. Links to each option will be available online prior to every match. In-match updates will also be provided through the team's social media outlets.
DIG FOR A CURE
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the Utah State volleyball team wants to help by raising money for Logan Regional Hospital Foundation's Breast Cancer Services. Pledges are now being gathered for every dig the Aggies make during their four home matches in October. Half of this donation will go to the Logan Regional Hospital Foundation to assist in breast cancer services, while the other half will be used to support the team directly. A donation form can be found on the sidebar of the volleyball page at utahstateaggies.com. The Aggies will also wear custom pink jerseys for each home match in October.
WHITE OUT THE ESTES
Thursday's match against Wyoming will be the annual whiteout match. All fans are encouraged to wear white, and a limited number of white long sleeve T-shirts will be given away at the door.
DOUBLE AGGIE DAY
Saturday will be the first of three Utah State doubleheaders featuring the volleyball team this fall. After the 1 p.m. match in the Wayne Estes Center, the Aggie football team will take on Nevada at 8:15 p.m. Later this season, the Aggie volleyball team will double up with women's basketball, as well as another football game.
AGAINST THE RANKS
Saturday's match against Colorado State will be USU's second contest against a top-25 team this season. The Aggies hosted then-No. 19 Utah on Sept. 3, falling to the Utes, 3-0. Under head coach Grayson DuBose, Utah State has won two matches against ranked opponents, both against Hawai'i. USU's last win over a top-25 team was against Hawai'i was in 2010, when the Aggies swept the third-ranked Wahine in the WAC Championship match. At No. 14, Colorado State is the highest-ranked team the Aggies have faced since 2014, when they took on the sixth-ranked Rams.
COMEBACK KIDS
Both of Utah State's 2019 wins have been reverse sweeps. The Aggies started down 0-2 against San José State and at New Mexico before coming back to win the five-set matches.
AGGIES FROM THE BLOCK
Utah State continues to be a strong blocking team, averaging 2.49 blocks per set this season. In all, the Aggies have tallied 167 blocks, ranking 32nd among all NCAA teams. Junior Bailey Downing leads the team with 1.12 blocks per set, recording 74 on the season.
BLOCKING OUT THE HATERS
As a team, Utah State tallied 22 total blocks in the home win over San José State. With 40 block assists, the Aggies set a program record for block assists in a match. The new best topped a 32-year-old record, when USU recorded 39 block assists against Utah on Nov. 7, 1987. Sophomore middle blocker Autumn Spafford led the team with 12 blocks, the most by an Aggie in a single match this season. The 22 blocks are the most by an Aggie team in a single match since 2014, when the team also put up 22 in a five-set loss at Fresno State. The team single-match block record is 34, set at UNLV in 1984.
IT'S A RECORD, YOU DIG?
Freshman libero Grace DuBay is the new record holder for digs in a three-set match, tallying 27 in the Sept. 21 match at Weber State. Her total surpasses the previous three-set best of 25 by Tasia Taylor against UNLV in 2017.
DOUBLED UP
Utah State players have recorded eight double-doubles this season. Senior setter Heidi Carpenter leads the team with three, as she had a double-double in each of the first three matches of the season and at New Mexico. Sophomore outside hitter Whitney Solosabal (Eastern Michigan - 11 kills, 10 digs), freshman outside hitter Madi Brunatti (Portland - 12 kills, 14 digs) and freshman outside hitter Hailey Cuff (Air Force - 16 kills, 12 digs) have each had one double-double. Freshman setter Kalena Vaivai also had a double-double against the Lobos, recording 21 assists and 11 digs.
LAST TIME OUT
Utah State posted a 1-1 Mountain West road record last week with a 3-0 loss at UNLV and a 3-2 win at New Mexico. Against the Rebels, the Aggies hit .162 (18-6-74), led by senior opposite side hitter Izzie Belnap who hit .400 (7-1-15). UNLV hit .337 (48-16-95) in the match. Against the Lobos, freshman outside hitter Hailey Cuff led the attack, hitting .368 (18-4-38), while junior opposite Bailey Downing added 11 kills. Both of Utah State's setters recorded double-doubles in the win, while three players had nine blocks apiece. In all, USU hit .226 (50-17-146) to UNM's .100 (56-39-170).
UP NEXT
The Aggies head to California next week for a pair of Mountain West matches. Utah State will play at Fresno State on Thursday, Oct. 24, at 7 p.m. (MT), then at San Diego State on Saturday, Oct. 26, at 3 p.m.
FOLLOW ALONG
Fans can 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.
