BACK IN ACTION
Utah State volleyball (2-24, 2-12 MW) continues its 2019 season this week with its final road matches, as it plays at No. 12 Colorado State (24-1, 14-0 MW) on Thursday, Nov. 14, at 7 p.m., and at Wyoming (17-8, 12-2 MW) on Friday, Nov. 15, at 6:30 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.
ROUND TWO
Now in the second half of the conference season, Utah State is set for its second matchup of the season with Colorado State and Wyoming. In the matches at home earlier this season, the Aggies pushed the Cowgirls to five sets and fell to the Rams in three.
AGAINST THE RANKS
Thursday's match at Colorado State will be USU's third contest against a top-25 team this season. The Aggies hosted then-No. 19 Utah on Sept. 3, falling to the Utes, 3-0, then fell to the then-No. 14 Rams (3-0) in the first meeting between the teams. 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. 12 , Colorado State is the highest-ranked team the Aggies have faced since 2014, when they took on the sixth-ranked Rams.
HOME SWEET HOME
Utah State has one player on its roster from Wyoming. Freshman libero Grace DuBay hails from Casper, Wyo., approximately 150 miles north of Laramie.
VIVA, LAS VEGAS
Utah State sophomore middle blocker Corinne Larsen hit a career-high .643 against UNLV last weekend. She tallied nine kills without any errors on 14 attempts to record the highest hitting percentage by an Aggie this season.
TENURED HELMSMEN
USU head coach Grayson DuBose and Colorado State head coach Tom Hilbert are the two longest-tenured coaches in the Mountain West. Hilbert is in his 23rd season at the helm of the Ram program, while DuBose is in his 14th year with the Aggies.
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 237 blocks, ranking third in the Mountain West and 39th among all NCAA teams. Junior opposite side hitter Bailey Downing leads the team with 97 blocks on the season, while sophomore middle blocker Autumn Spafford averages a team-high 1.24 per set.
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.
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 10 double-doubles this season. Senior setter Heidi Carpenter leads the team with six, as she had a double-double in each of the first three matches of the season, as well as in three conference contests. 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. Freshman setter Kalena Vaivai also had a double-double against the Lobos, recording 21 assists and 11 digs.
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.
DOUBLE DUBOSE
Redshirt freshman defensive specialist Cassandra DuBose has the unique opportunity to play for her father, head coach Grayson DuBose.
LAST TIME OUT
Utah State posted an 0-2 Mountain West home record last week with a pair of four-set losses to New Mexico and UNLV. Against the Lobos, the Aggies hit .157 (44-24-127), while UNM hit .229 (54-24-131). USU was led by senior opposite side hitter Izzie Belnap, who hit .387 (15-3-31). Against the Rebels, the Aggies hit .178 (37-18-107) to UNLV's .289 (63-26-128). Sophomore middle blocker Corinne Larsen led the Aggie attack, hitting .643 (9-0-14).
UP NEXT
Utah State will close the 2019 season at home next week. The Aggies will host San Diego State on Thursday, Nov. 21, at 7 p.m., then Fresno State on Saturday, Nov. 23, at 1 p.m. USU will also honor its three seniors prior to the match against the Bulldogs.
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.
