LAS VEGAS, Nevada --- Utah State volleyball lost in their semifinal matchup versus Boise State, 3-1, on Thursday at the Mountain West Championship.

The match started in near-perfect fashion for the Aggies, who dominated the first set en route to a 25-16 victory. The Aggies hit over .300 and held Boise State, the team with the most total blocks in the nation, to a single block in the opening frame. The Broncos responded to take control in the next two sets, however, defeating USU 25-17 and 25-10 in the second and third sets, respectively. 

As they have countless times this season, the Aggies battled with their backs against the wall. In a back-and-forth set, a late 6-2 run gave USU a 24-23 advantage and an opportunity to force a fifth set. After a failed challenge on an Aggie attack deemed to land out of bounds and a Boise State service ace, USU faced the first match point from the Broncos. A kill by senior Kristy Frank staved off elimination temporarily before two quick points from Boise State gave the Broncos a 27-25 win, spelling the end for Utah State's tournament run with a 3-1 defeat.

Sophomore Tatum Stall led the Aggies with 14 kills for the match with junior Kylee Stokes close behind with 12. Stokes also led USU's defensive effort with four blocks while Frank posted a team-high 13 digs. Freshman Beatriz Rodrigues tallied 23 assists to lead the team.

The loss puts an end to a season for the ages for the Aggies. The 2021 squad goes into the Utah State record books with the most wins in a season since 2010 and the second-best team hitting percentage in program history, as well as winning the program's seventh regular season conference title and first since joining the Mountain West.

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.

 - USU -