LOGAN, Utah – After eight matches away from home, Utah State volleyball (8-4) returned to the Wayne Estes Center Saturday, closing the non-conference portion of the 2021 season in a sweep over Idaho State.
USU's biggest win came in the first set at 25-16, following that with victories of 25-18 and 25-19.
Idaho State led briefly in the early minutes of the first two sets, but the Aggies otherwise controlled the match. Utah State built its biggest leads through the middle of each set, leading by as many as six each time. The Bengals clawed back each time, but never gained enough momentum to close one out. The Aggies led wire-to-wire in the third after scoring five-straight points to open the set.
Sophomore outside hitter Tatum Stall led the Aggies with nine kills and nine digs, while hitting .368 in the match. The two Aggie setters, junior Kalena Vaivai and freshman Kalia Thunstrom, each recorded 15 assists. USU had another strong performance on the block, with junior middle blocker Kylee Stokes tallying nine and sophomore middle Inka Mehtola adding eight. As a team, Utah State hit .247 (34-13-85), while Idaho State hit .119 (32-22-84).
The Aggies open Mountain West play on the road with a pair of matches next week. Utah State will play at Wyoming on Thursday, Sept. 23, at 6 p.m., and at Colorado State on Saturday, Sept. 25, at 1 p.m.
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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