BACK IN ACTION
Utah State volleyball (0-0, 0-0 MW) opens its 2021 season this weekend as it hosts the Northern Utah Invitational. The Aggies will start the season against North Dakota (0-0) on Friday, Aug. 27, at 11 a.m. Action will continue on Saturday, Aug. 28, when USU takes on Seton Hall (0-0) at 11 a.m., and Weber State (0-0) at 7 p.m. North Dakota and Seton Hall will also play each other on Friday at 6 p.m. The tournament is co-hosted by Weber State, with additional matches slated to be played in Ogden.
JOIN IN THE FUN
Tickets to Utah State volleyball matches are available at the USU Ticket Office, online at utahstateaggies.com or by calling 1 (888) USTATE-1. Season tickets are $27, while single-match tickets are $6 for adults and $3 for youth.
FOLLOW ALONG
All home and Mountain West matches will be streamed live and for free on the Mountain West Network. Live stats will also be available through SIDEARM. Links to all options will be posted on the team's social media pages, and are all listed on the Utah State Athletics website.
TOURNAMENT TIME
This weekend marks the 10th time in the last 12 years Utah State has hosted a preseason tournament. The Aggies also hosted a tournament in 1996 and 1997. However, the Northern Utah Invitational is the first time the tournament has been co-hosted by Weber State. This is the fourth time the Aggies will open the season in the home tournament. All-time, USU is 15-19 in home tournament matches.
STARTING FRESH
All-time, Utah State is 20-25 in season-opening matches. The Aggies' last season-opening win came in 2017 in a 3-0 victory over Louisiana-Monroe.
NEW KIDS IN TOWN
Utah State welcomed nine new players to the team this offseason. The group includes six freshmen in defensive specialist Haley McUne (Amalga, Utah/Sky View HS), outside hitter Adna Mehmedovic (Peoria, Ariz./Sunrise Mountain HS), outside hitter Kaylie Ray (Chandler, Ariz./Chandler HS), Beatriz Rodrigues (Lisbon, Portugal/Escola Secundária de Miraflores), setter Kalia Thunstrom (Murrieta, Calif/Murrieta Mesa HS) and middle blocker Bella Wooden (Summerfield, N.C./Northern Guilford HS). Three junior transfers complete the class, in middle blocker Kennedi Boyd (Alpine, Utah/Lone Peak HS/Arizona State), opposite side hitter Kenadee Christensen (Lehi, Utah/Skyridge HS/SLCC) and middle blocker Kylee Stokes (Phoenix, Ariz./Pinnacle HS/South Carolina).
AGGIES VS. FIGHTING HAWKS
Utah State and North Dakota have met on the court just once in the past. The two teams played in the Montana Invitational in 2010, where the Aggies recorded a 3-0 victory. In all, USU is 6-2 against current members of the Summit League.
AGGIES VS. PIRATES
Saturday will mark the first-ever meeting between Utah State and Seton Hall. In all, this will be just the second match USU volleyball has ever played against a team from New Jersey. The 1978 Aggies posted a 2-0 win over Rutgers. All-time, USU is 1-2 against current Big East schools.
AGGIES VS. WILDCATS
One of Utah State's longest-running rivalries, the Aggies lead the all-time series against Weber State, 37-21. The series dates back to the 1976 season, the inaugural year of the USU program. With 58 meetings between the teams, the Wildcats are the Aggies' second-most played opponent in program history. Utah State is 126-103 all-time against current members of the Big Sky.
THE VOLLEYBALL CONNECTION
While this weekend's tournament features teams from all over the country, there are several connections between the rosters. Seton Hall senior opposite side hitter Emilee Turner is a Utah native, hailing from Kaysville and Davis High School. She played one season with Club V, where several Aggie and Weber State players competed. Aggie junior opposite Kenadee Christensen and Wildcat setter Kate Standifird played together at Skyridge High, helping the Falcons to the Utah 5A state title in 2018. North Dakota senior outside hitter Sierra Ellett and Utah State junior middle blocker Kennedi Boyd are both in their first seasons at their respective schools after transferring from Arizona State, where Ellett was on the beach volleyball team.
BEEHIVE BATTLES
Utah State will see its first of three in-state opponents in 2021 this weekend. Along with Weber State on Saturday, the Aggies play at Utah Valley (Sept. 14) and Southern Utah (Sept. 15). All-time, Utah State is 92-120 against teams from Utah.
ANOTHER FIRST GO
Utah State head coach Rob Neilson is facing his first non-conference opponents at the helm of the Aggie program. Neilson was hired in January, 2020, but the regular 2020 season was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. USU played a condensed spring season in 2021, competing only against Mountain West opponents.
UP NEXT
Utah State continues its preseason next week in the Bobcat Invitational, hosted by Montana State. The Aggies will open the weekend on Friday, Sept. 3, taking on Portland at 10 a.m., and Arkansas at 3 p.m. The tournament will conclude on Saturday, Sept. 4, in a 1 p.m. match against the host-Bobcats.
