BOISE, Idaho – Utah State volleyball (13-5, 6-1 Mountain West) continued its winning streak as USU defeated Boise State (9-8, 5-2 MW) 3-1 on the road Tuesday night.
Both graduate senior outside hitter
Shelby Capllonch and senior outside
Tatum Stall led the Aggies with 17 kills apiece. Both USU setters logged at least 20 assists as sophomore
Leah Wilton-LaBoy had 24 and junior
Beatriz Rodrigues had 20. Capllonch and Rodrigues recorded their 43rd and 21st career double-doubles with 10 and 12 digs, respectively.
Freshman libero
Kambree Rodriguez had a match-high 19 digs. Four Aggies recorded at least four blocks, led by senior middle blocker
Kelsey Watson with a season-high-tying eight.
Kills by junior opposite side hitter
Adna Mehmedovic and graduate senior middle blocker
Kennedi Boyd, a block by Stall and Watson, and a Boise State attack error gave Utah State the 5-2 lead in set one. The Broncos chipped away at the margin to take an 8-6 edge. After Boise State led 18-14, a 4-0 Aggie run, featuring another Stall and Watson block, a Capllonch kill and back-to-back Stall service aces, tied it up. The score continued to stay close until back-to-back kills from Mehmedovic and Stall, along with a Bronco error, put USU at set point 24-21. Boise State scored once more before a Mehmedovic kill secured the 25-22 victory.
The Aggies once again started off the set hot, taking a 5-1 lead in set two. A 4-1 USU run, featuring kills from Boyd, Mehmedovic and Stall, later extended the advantage to 16-9. Boise State trimmed the lead to two, but Utah State responded by scoring four of the next five points for the 23-18 edge. The Broncos scored the next two points, but back-to-back Stall kills to close out the set clinched the 25-20 win.
Utah State held a 21-17 lead in set three, but Boise State closed out the set scoring eight-straight points for the 25-21 win.
The teams traded points to open set four as a Capllonch hammer gave USU the 5-4 lead. However, a couple Boise State runs later gave the Broncos the 14-10 edge. Utah State responded with a 10-2 run, bookended by kills from Watson and graduate senior opposite
Jill Schneggenburger, for the 20-16 advantage. Boise State trimmed the lead to one, but three-straight kills from Mehmedovic, Stall and Boyd, followed by a Mehmedovic and Boyd block, gave USU match points 24-19. The Broncos scored once more, but Stall put the match to bed with a kill for the 25-20 victory.
Overall, USU hit .261 (56-19-142), while Boise State hit .192 (53-24-151).
Utah State next faces San José State (11-8, 2-3 MW) on the road on Saturday, Oct. 14, at 2 p.m.
Season tickets for the 2023 Utah State volleyball season are on sale now.
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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