SAN DIEGO, Calif. – Utah State volleyball (2-6, 2-6 MW) opened its series at San Diego State (3-8, 3-8 MW) in dominant fashion Thursday, posting a 3-0 victory over the Aztecs. 

Utah State took the first set, 25-23, winning its second first set of the season. The hot streak continued through the second set, which the Aggies won, 25-13. USU then led wire-to-wire in the third, securing the match victory with a 25-19 win. 

The 3-0 sweep is the first by Utah State since Oct. 27, 2018, when the Aggies swept a home match against Nevada. Additionally, Thursday marked the first-ever road victory over San Diego State for the Aggies. The match was played at the University of San Diego, as a water leak left the court at SDSU unplayable.

Senior opposite side hitter Bailey Downing led USU with nine kills. Junior middle blocker Corinne Larsen had the best hitting percentage on the night for the sixth match in a row, hitting a season-best .545 (8-2-11). Sophomore setter Ashlee McUne made the first start of her Aggie career, recording 19 assists, while freshman libero Abby Peterson had a team-high 12 digs. Junior middle Autumn Spafford led the team with five blocks in the win. 

San Diego State jumped out to an early lead in the first set. While the Aggies tied the score several times, they were never able to take the lead until the 20-19 mark. USU kept the lead through the remainder of the set, securing the win on an Aztec attack error. A 9-0 run highlighted the second set for Utah State. The Aggies ended the set with a 12-point lead, the largest victory by the team since the very first set of the 2019 season. USU led for the entirety of the third set, but the Aztecs did keep it tighter than the second. A San Diego State service error gave the Aggies their final point of the night. 

Overall, Utah State hit a season-best .244 (34-13-86) while San Diego State hit .059 (30-24-109).

Utah State and San Diego State continue the series with a match on Friday, March 12, at 7 p.m. (MT).

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.