FORT COLLINS, Colo. – Utah State volleyball (22-10, 11-7 MW) is going dancing for the first time since 2010 after defeating San Josè State in the Mountain West Championship on Friday night.
USU, who earned a share of the 2021 regular season MW title, won its first conference tournament since winning the 2010 WAC Championship.
The 2022 DI women's volleyball championship selection show will be at 5:30 p.m. (MT), on Sunday, Nov. 27, on ESPNU. Overall, the Aggies have appeared in four NCAA Tournaments (2010, 2005, 2001, 2002), holding a 2-4 record.
Four Aggies were named to the all-tournament team in senior outside hitter Shelby Capllonch (MVP), senior middle blocker Kennedi Boyd, junior outside Tatum Stall and sophomore opposite side hitter Adna Mehmedovic.
Stall and Mehmedovic both had double-digit kills while hitting above .300 in the MW championship match against second-seed San Josè State (21-9, 14-4 MW). Stall led the way with a match-high 17 kills, hitting .342, while Mehmedovic added 13, hitting .348. Graduate middle blocker Myrthe Maring was also phenomenal on the attack, hitting a season-high .800 with a season-best eight kills.
USU's setters helped lead the offense as freshman Leah Wilton-LaBoy had a match-high 21 assists, while sophomore Beatriz Rodrigues logged 18. Redshirt sophomore Jordi Holdaway was one assist shy of a double-double as the libero had nine to go along with her match-best 12 digs.
Defensively, Boyd and senior opposite Kylee Stokes each recorded a match-high six blocks.
A Boyd and Stokes block early in set one gave the No. 4 Aggies a 5-1 lead. USU maintained the margin until a 6-0 SJSU run gave the Spartans a 10-8 edge. San Josè State held on to its lead until a 6-0 Utah State spurt, capped by a Rodrigues service ace, gave USU a 17-15 advantage. The set continued to stay close, with the Spartans ultimately winning 26-24 in what would be the only set the Aggies dropped during their run at the MW Tournament.
After trading points to start set two, back-to-back Stall kills followed by a Stokes hammer gave USU a 5-3 lead. A Maring and Stokes block followed by a Boyd kill later extended the edge to 9-5. The teams went back and forth until a pair of kills from Mehmedovic and Stall, followed by a couple Rodrigues service aces, put Utah State ahead 17-9. The Aggies went on to take a 10-point lead following Maring and Capllonch kills at 23-13. Back-to-back Mehmedovic hammers to close out the set secured the 25-14 win.
Utah State took a 4-1 lead to start off set three before San Josè State countered with a 5-1 run to hold a one-point edge. USU responded with a massive 8-0 run, featuring kills from Capllonch and Stokes, as well as a Maring and Stokes block, for the 13-6 advantage. SJSU was eventually able to trim the margin to four, but a Boyd hammer and Spartan attacking error extended the USU lead to 21-15. A 3-0 Aggie run later put Utah State at set point before a San Josè State service error gave USU the 25-17 victory.
Back-to-back Stall and Mehmedovic kills gave USU an early 3-1 lead in set four. Hammers from Capllonch and Maring would later push the margin out to five at 11-6. SJSU chipped away at the lead to make it a one-point game, but back-to-back kills from USU's opposites Stokes and Mehmedovic pushed the lead out to 17-14. The Spartans scored the next two points to once again trim the margin to one, but the Aggies countered with three-straight kills from Mehmedovic and Maring, followed by a Maring and Stall block, for the 21-16 advantage.
The Spartans got to within three, but a Wilton-LaBoy setter dump followed by back-to-back Stall kills clinched the Mountain West Championship title with the 25-19 win.
Overall, USU hit .274 (58-21-135), while SJSU hit .106 (43-28-142).
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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