BACK IN ACTION
Utah State volleyball (2-1, 0-0 MW) continues its 2021 season this weekend at the Montana State-hosted Bobcat Classic. The Aggies will open the tournament on Friday, Sept. 3, with matches against Portland (2-1) and Arkansas (2-1) at 10 a.m., and 3 p.m., respectively. The tournament will close on Saturday, Sept. 4, when USU takes on Montana State (2-1) at 1 p.m.
FOLLOW ALONG
This weekend's matches will all be streamed online. The contest against Montana State will be available on ESPN+, while those against Portland and Arkansas will be streamed via MSU Bobcat All-Access. Live stats will also be available through StatBroadcast. Links to all options will be posted on the team's social media pages, and are all listed on the Utah State Athletics website.
HOT-HITTING HAILEY
Redshirt sophomore outside hitter Hailey Cuff hit a fiery .846 in last week's win over Seton Hall. With her 11 kills on 13 attempts, Cuff set a program record for the best hitting percentage in a single match with 10-14 attempts.
CATCHING FIRE
Utah State hit .366 (49-15-93) as a team against Seton Hall, marking the first time an Aggie team has hit .300 or higher since the 2016 season. USU hit above .200 in all three opening-weekend matches, already matching the number of times the team hit that well in each of the last two seasons.
A STRONG START
Utah State went 2-1 during its opening weekend, giving the Aggies their best start to a season since 2017. USU also went 2-1 to start the year then, but went at least five matches before recording its first victory in the 2018-20 campaigns.
AGGIES VS. PILOTS
Utah State is 5-5 all-time against Portland. The teams last met in 2019, when the Pilots hosted a preseason tournament. Portland won the match, 3-2. The Aggies are 1-4 against Portland in neutral-site contests.
AGGIES VS. RAZORBACKS
Utah State and Arkansas have met four times in the past, with the Aggies winning just one of those contests. The Razorbacks hosted USU in a preseason tournament in 2017, winning the match, 3-0. The two teams are 1-1 in matches played at neutral sites.
AGGIES VS. BOBCATS
All-time, Utah State is 9-4 against Montana State. The majority of matches between the two teams have been played in Logan, but the Aggies are 1-2 in contests played in Bozeman. USU and MSU last played in 2017 in the Utah State Invitational, a 3-1 win for the Aggies.
AMONG THE MOUNTAIN WEST
Through the first weekend of the season, Utah State is representing itself well in the Mountain West rankings. As a team, the Aggies are second in hitting percentage (.272), while leading the league in kills (14.33) and assists (13.67) per set. The team is in the top half of every other statistical category. Junior middle blocker Kennedi Boyd is leading the MW with a .463 (24-5-41) hitting percentage, while senior outside hitter Kristy Frank ranks 10th, hitting .346 (32-5-78). Utah State players hold an additional seven spots in the top-10 statistical rankings.
THE WEEKEND'S BEST
Utah State had two players named to the Northern Utah Invitational all-tournament team in senior outside hitter Kristy Frank and junior middle blocker Kennedi Boyd. Frank hit .346 on the weekend, averaging 3.56 kills and 2.89 digs per set. Boyd hit .463 in the three matches, averaging 2.00 kills and 0.83 blocks per set.
THE VOLLEYBALL CONNECTION
While this weekend's tournament features teams from all over the country, there are several connections between the rosters. Aggie freshman setter Kalia Thunstrom and Portland junior outside hitter Jayde Harris both hail from Murrieta, Calif., where they played for the Forza 1 club organization. Charity Bradley, a graduate outside hitter for the Pilots is from Murray, Utah. She played for Club V, which several Aggies also played with. Like Utah State, Montana State has several players from Arizona. Bobcat senior outside hitter Emma West played with Club One along with Aggie sophomores Tatum Stall and Abby Peterson.
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).
UP NEXT
Utah State will play in its final preseason tournament next week at the Bay Area Invitational. The Aggies will open the weekend against CSU Bakersfield, when the teams play at Saint Mary's on Friday, Sept. 10, at noon (MT). That night, USU will play at San Francisco in a 7 p.m. match. The Aggies will return to Moraga for the weekend finale, playing against the Gaels on Saturday, Sept. 11, at 2 p.m.
