BACK IN ACTION
Utah State volleyball returns to the court for the first time in 2022 this week as the Aggies host Cal Poly and No. 12 UCLA for the Utah State Invitational. Both USU matches will be played on Friday, Aug. 26, with the Aggies facing the Mustangs at 11 a.m., and the Bruins at 6 p.m. Cal Poly and UCLA will face each other for the weekend finale on Saturday, Aug. 27, at 10 a.m.
 
FOLLOW ALONG
Both of this week's matches will be streamed live and for free via the Mountain West Network. Live stats will also be provided for both contests via Sidearm. Links to all options will be posted on the team's social media pages and listed on the Utah State Athletics website.
 
PRESEASON PICKS
Utah State was picked second in the preseason Mountain West poll, receiving three first-place votes. Junior outside hitter Tatum Stall was also named to the 2022 preseason all-Mountain West team. 

AGGIES VS. MUSTANGS
Cal Poly leads Utah State in the all-time series 14-7, including an 8-4 mark in Logan. The Aggies last defeated the Mustangs 3-1 on Oct. 9, 2004, in Logan.
 
AGGIES VS. BRUINS
UCLA leads the all-time series 7-4. The Aggies and Bruins are split in matches played in Logan as the teams have each picked up one victory. All four of Utah State's victories came in the 1978 and 1979 seasons, with the last win being a 3-0 sweep at the AIAW Nationals on Dec. 8, 1979.
 
AGGIES VS. RANKED OPPONENTS
Utah State's last win over a ranked opponent was a 3-0 victory over No. 3 Hawai'i to win the WAC Tournament Championship on Nov. 24, 2010. 
 
TOURNAMENT TIME
This weekend marks the 11th time in the last 13 years Utah State has hosted a preseason tournament. The Aggies also hosted a tournament in 1996 and 1997. This is the fifth time the Aggies will open the season by hosting a tournament. All-time, USU is 17-20 in home tournament matches.
 
AGGIES IN SEASON OPENERS
All-time, Utah State is 21-25 in season-opening matches. The Aggies most recently won 3-1 in their 2021 season opener against North Dakota. 
 
PUTTING IN THE WORK
Utah State will face six 2021 NCAA Tournament teams, including four that finished the campaign ranked in the top 25, in its 2022 campaign. Non-conference foes Pitt, BYU, UCLA and Utah finished the 2021 campaign ranking fourth, ninth, 13th and 18th, respectively. 
 
MOUNTAIN PEAK
With wins over Colorado State and Wyoming to close the 2021 regular season, the Aggies clinched a share of the Mountain West regular season title for the first time in program history. USU has won seven regular season conference titles in program history, including the WAC in 2012 and five consecutive titles in the Intermountain Athletic Conference from 1977 through 1981.
 
A SEASON FOR THE HISTORY BOOKS
USU finished its 2021 campaign with a 22-9 record, the most wins since 2010. Utah State posted 14 MW wins, the most since 2012, and 12 home victories, the most since 1979.
 
ROAD WARRIORS
Utah State was 9-5 in true road games in 2021. The nine wins tied with the 2010 season for the third-most in program history and were the most since winning 10 road games in 1980.
 
BUCKING THE TRENDS
Utah State snapped lengthy losing skids versus numerous opponents in the 2021 season. The Aggies broke losing streaks versus Colorado State (32 games), Saint Mary's (eight games), Boise State (six games) and Wyoming (six games).
 
MOUNTAIN WEST COACH OF THE YEAR
Head coach Rob Neilson was named the 2021 Mountain West Coach of the Year after leading the Aggies to a share of the MW regular season title and the team's most wins in over a decade.
 
SHE'S A KILLER QUEEN
Middle blocker Kennedi Boyd tied the program record for single-match hitting percentage with 15-19 attempts after hitting .813 (13-0-6) at Air Force on Oct. 9, 2021.
 
CAN YOU DIG IT?
Defensive specialist Grace DuBay set the program three-set match record after recording 26 digs at Weber State on Sept. 21, 2019. 
 
DESIGNATED HITTERS
Utah State hit .356 (57-9-135) in its Sept. 15, 2021, win at Southern Utah, setting the program record for hitting percentage in a four-set match. The feat surpassed the previous record of .347 (60-17-124) set in a match at Idaho on Oct. 6, 2010.
 
On the season, the Aggies hit .234 (1,604-632-4,160) as a team, which is tied for the second best single-season hitting percentage in program history.
 
INTERNATIONAL CONNECTION
Utah State has three international players on its 2022 roster in graduate middle blocker Myrthe Maring (Groningen, Netherlands), junior middle blocker Inka Mehtola (Raahe, Finland) and sophomore setter Beatriz Rodrigues (Lisbon, Portugal).
 
WEDDING BELLS WILL BE RINGING 
Three Aggie volleyball student-athletes got engaged this offseason. Junior outside hitter Tatum Stall became engaged to current USU quarterback Levi Williams, junior defensive specialist Abby Peterson is engaged to Cooper Ward and sophomore outside hitter Katie Langford is engaged to Preston Swensen.
 
ALL IN THE FAMILY 
Freshman setter Leah Wilton-LaBoy is the granddaughter of USU volunteer assistant coach Mike Wilton. Her mother, Melissa, played volleyball for the Aggies in 2001, while her uncle, Travis, was a member of the USU football team. However, Wilton-LaBoy isn't the only Aggie with familial connections to USU. Junior outside hitter Tatum Stall's brother, Klay, played on the men's basketball team from 2017-20, redshirt freshman outside hitter Kaylie Ray's father, Brennan, was on the men's basketball roster from 1999-2002, graduate opposite side hitter Emilee Turner's father, Grey, played men's basketball for the Aggies in 1986-87 and freshman outside hitter Audrah Radford's mother, Gina, played volleyball from 1994-96.
 
FAMILIAR FACES
Utah State returns eight letterwinners, including three starters and libero Abby Peterson. Junior outside hitter Tatum Stall, who earned all-MW honors in 2021, led the team in total kills (360) and kills per set (2.90), while finishing second on the squad in digs (250) and service aces (36). Senior opposite side hitter Kylee Stokes, who was named to the Mountain West All-Tournament Team, finished second on the 2021 team with 268 kills and 92 blocks.
 
Peterson returns for her third season with the Aggies after leading the squad with 392 digs as a sophomore, finishing 2021 ranked sixth in the conference with 3.32 digs per set. Senior middle blocker Kennedi Boyd appeared and started in 20 matches in 2021 before missing the remainder of the season due to injury, finishing with 168 kills and 76.0 total blocks. Sophomore setter Beatriz Rodrigues led USU and ranked 10th in the MW with 5.41 assists per set in 2021, totaling 509 assists on the year.
 
USU returns seven more players from the 2021 squad, including senior defensive specialist Grace DuBay, junior middle blocker Inka Mehtola, three sophomores in outside hitter Adna Mehmedovic, opposite side hitter Katie Langford and setter Kalia Thunstrom, and outside hitter Kaylie Ray and middle blocker Bella Wooden, both redshirt freshmen. 
 
WELCOME TO THE SQUAD
Utah State welcomes seven newcomers to the 2022 squad, including graduate middle blocker Myrthe Maring, an FIU transfer, graduate opposite side hitter Emilee Turner, a Seton Hall transfer, senior outside hitter Shelby Capllonch, a UNLV transfer, redshirt sophomore defensive specialist Jordi Holdaway, a Boise State transfer, and outside hitter Audrah Radford, outside hitter Kylie Tengberg and setter Leah Wilton-LaBoy, all freshmen. Utah State also added assistant coach Mike Brunsting to the staff in May of 2022.
 
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