FRESNO, Calif. – Utah State volleyball (1-5, 1-5 MW) picked up its first win of the season and of the Rob Neilson era Saturday, defeating Fresno State, 3-1, on the road.  

Fresno State took the first set in extra points, 28-26. The Aggies responded well to win the second and third sets by scores of 25-23 and 25-18, respectively. The fourth and final set also went to extras before USU earned the 27-25 victory.

The win snaps a 17-match losing streak for the Aggies that dates back to the 2019 season. Additionally, the victory over the Bulldogs is the first for USU in seven meetings, and is the first win in Fresno since the 2010 season. 

Freshman outside hitter Tatum Stall led all players with a career-high 18 kills. Junior middle blocker Corinne Larsen followed closely with 15 kills to tie her career high, hitting a team-best .333 (15-4-33) and adding a team-high six blocks. Senior opposite side hitter Bailey Downing also finished the night with double-digit kills, recording a season-high 12. Freshman libero Abby Peterson led the team with 29 digs, but junior middle Whitney Solosabal-Parks added a career-high to the category. Sophomore setter Kalena Vaivai finished the match with 42 assists.

The trend of tight sets that started in Friday's match continued into Saturday. The Aggies and Bulldogs kept things close in the first set, with neither team ever leading by more than three. Larsen dominated the USU attack early, finishing the first set with eight kills and no errors. USU had a 26-25 lead, but a 3-0 run by the Bulldogs closed it out in their favor. Utah State led through the first half of the second set, with Fresno State taking its first lead at the 14-13 mark. The Bulldogs led by as many as five points, but a 9-2 run gave the Aggies the final push, securing the set victory on a service ace from Peterson. 

Utah State never trailed in the third set, leading by as many as nine. After a timeout, the Bulldogs cut into the Aggie lead, but were never able to catch up. Fresno State came out strong in the fourth set, jumping out to a 6-1 lead. USU eventually evened the score at 13, taking the lead on the next point. The teams alternated runs over the remainder of the set, before the Aggies closed it out on a Fresno State attack error. 

Overall, Utah State hit a season-best .182 (54-24-165) while Fresno State hit .104 (44-27-164). The Aggies also tallied a season-high 10 service aces in the win.

Utah State returns home next week, hosting UNLV in a pair of Mountain West matches. The Aggies and Rebels will play on Thursday, March 4, in a 4 p.m. match in the Wayne Estes Center. The series will conclude on Saturday, March 6, as the teams play at 1 p.m. in the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum. 

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.