LOGAN, Utah – Utah State volleyball (0-4) is set for its first road matches of the 2019 season, as it plays at the North Portland Marriott Invitational this weekend. The Aggies will open the tournament on Friday, Sept. 6, with matches against Washington State (2-1) and Idaho (1-2) at 10:30 a.m. (MT) and 5 p.m., respectively. USU will then face Portland (2-1) on Saturday, Sept. 7, at 2 p.m.
Each match of the North Portland Marriott Invitational will be streamed live online. The contests against Washington State and Idaho will be streamed on YouTube without commentary, while the match against Portland will be available on the WCC Network. Live stats will be available for each contest, while social media updates will also be provided. Links to each option will be posted on the Utah State volleyball social media pages each day of the tournament.
Utah State's second-straight Pac-12 opponent, Washington State comes into the weekend with a 2-1 record. The Cougars, who are just one spot out of the Top-25, opened the season in a tournament at James Madison, posting 3-0 wins over JMU and Stony Brook and falling to Iowa, 0-3. As a team, Washington State is hitting .191 (111-54-299) on the year, averaging 10.1 assists and 13.0 blocks per set. Redshirt senior middle blocker Jocelyn Urias leads the Cougar attack, hitting .310 (21-8-42), while freshman middle Magda Jehlarova is averaging a team-best 1.1 blocks per set. The Aggies are 2-4 all-time against Washington State in a series that dates back to 1977. Friday will mark the first meeting between the two since 2007.
Idaho opened the season with a 1-2 record in its home tournament. The Vandals defeated California Baptist, 3-1, but fell to Cal State Fullerton (1-3) and Illinois-Chicago (2-3). Overall, Idaho is hitting .255 (170-46-486) while averaging 12.4 assists and 2.8 blocks per set. Redshirt sophomore Nikki Ball is hitting a team-high .523 (27-4-44), while junior outside hitter is averaging 3.8 kills per set. Ball also leads the Idaho block, averaging 1.15 per set. Former WAC rivals, the Aggies and Vandals have a tight series, with Idaho leading, 21-19. The teams last met in 2014, a 3-1 win for USU.
The host-Pilots opened the 2019 campaign at a tournament at Weber State, topping CSUN and the Wildcats, 3-1, and falling to UNLV, 2-3. Portland is hitting .212 (175-75-472) as a team, averaging 12.7 assists and 2.2 blocks per set. Redshirt senior middle blocker Katie Barker leads the Pilot attach, hitting .338 (36-11-74) on the year. Barker and senior middle Shayla Hoeft average a team-high 0.8 blocks per set. The Aggies lead the all-time series against Portland, 5-4, with the teams last meeting in 2016.
Utah State is hitting .134 (151-84-500) on the season, led by sophomore middle blocker Corinne Larsen, who is hitting .227 (26-9-75) on the year. Senior setter Heidi Carpenter is averaging 7.9 assists per set, while junior middle Bailey Downing leads the Aggies on the block, averaging 1.3 per set. Utah State is still seeking its first win of the year, coming off a three-set loss to No. 19 Utah.
Season tickets for the 2019 volleyball season are now on sale. General admission season ticket packages are available for $27, while all Utah State faculty and staff can buy a season ticket for $22. Single-match tickets for the season will be $6 for adults and $3 for youth. Tickets can be purchased through the USU Ticket Office in person, online, or over the phone at 1-888-USTATE-1 or (435) 797-0305.
Fans can follow the Aggie volleyball program on Twitter, @USUVolleyball, on Facebook at /USUVolleyball or on Instagram, @usuvolleyball. Aggie fans can also follow the Utah State athletic program on Twitter, @USUAthletics, Facebook at /USUAthletics and on Instagram, @USUAthletics.
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