BACK IN ACTION
No. 6-seeded Utah State volleyball (24-6, 17-1 MW) will make its sixth-ever NCAA Tournament appearance, including its first at-large berth, when it faces Minnesota (16-12, 12-8 Big Ten) on Friday, Dec. 1, at 3 p.m. (MT), in Omaha, Nebraska. If the Aggies win, they will face the winner of No. 3 Creighton vs. Colgate on Saturday, Dec. 2, at 5:30 p.m. (MT). USU is 4-2 all-time against Minnesota, and 1-0 all-time against Colgate. USU has never faced Creighton.
 
FOLLOW ALONG
Both matches will be televised on ESPN+. Live stats will also be provided via StatBroadcast. Links to all options will be posted on the team's social media pages and listed on the Utah State Athletics website.
 
TOURNAMENT HISTORY
Utah State will compete in the NCAA Tournament for the sixth time in program history. This season's appearance marks the first at-large bid in program history. All-time, the Aggies are 58-27 in postseason tournaments, including 2-5 in NCAA Tournaments, 24-4 in AIAW Regionals and 23-10 in AIAW Nationals.
 
TOURNAMENT HISTORY - PART II
Utah State will appear in its sixth-ever NCAA Tournament this weekend. The Aggies advanced to the second round in both 2000 and 2001, and lost in the first round in 2005, 2010 and 2022. USU's first-ever trip to the NCAA Tournament was during the 2000 season when it defeated Missouri (3-2) in the first round before losing at BYU (3-0) in the second round. The Aggies went back to the NCAA Tournament in 2001 and upset 19th-ranked BYU (3-2) in the first round before losing at Utah (3-1) in the second round. In 2005, USU lost to sixth-ranked Arizona (3-0) in the first round. Utah State later lost 3-0 to seventh-seeded Cal in 2010. The Aggies most recently lost 3-0 to No. 6 Arkansas in 2022. All-time, USU is 2-5 in the NCAA Tournament.
 
AGGIES VS. THE FIELD

• Utah State and Minnesota will meet for the seventh time in program history as the Aggies lead the all-time series 4-2. USU won four of the first five meetings with a 3-0 win on Oct. 6, 1979, 2-1 win on Sept. 19, 1980, and on Dec. 11, 1981, and won 3-2 on Sept. 18, 1986. Minnesota won twice in the series history, winning 3-1 on Dec. 10, 1981, and 3-0 on Sept. 8, 2007.
• Utah State and Colgate have met once previously, with USU sweeping Colgate 3-0 on Sept. 9, 2000. 
• Utah State has never faced Creighton.

 
MOUNTAIN WEST AT THE NCAA TOURNAMENT

• Two Mountain West programs are set to dance in the 2023 NCAA Volleyball Tournament after Utah State, the MW regular-season champion, and Fresno State, the 2023 MW Tournament Champion, earned bids to the postseason tournament. This marks the second year in a row and 15th time in league history that the Mountain West has had multiple bids in the NCAA tournament.
• All-time, the Mountain West is 39-45 in NCAA Tournament play.
• The last time a MW team won a NCAA Tournament match was UNLV's 3-1 victory over Illinois State in the first round of the 2020 tournament in Omaha, Nebraska.

 
3PEAT
Utah State became the outright Mountain West regular season champions after defeating Boise State 3-1 on Nov. 6. The Aggies have won three-straight MW championships, all of which came under head coach Rob Neilson, after sharing the MW regular season title in 2021 and winning the MW tournament in 2022.USU has won eight 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.
 
BACK-TO-BACK-TO-BACK 20 WIN SEASONS

• The sweep over New Mexico (Nov. 4) was Utah State's 20th win of the season, marking the 15th time in program history the Aggies have crossed the 20-win plateau. It is the first time USU has won at least 20 matches in three-straight seasons since doing so over a six-season stretch from 1977-82.
• USU's 24 wins this season are tied for the seventh-most in school history.
• The Aggies have now recorded at least 22 wins in each of the last three seasons under head coach Rob Neilson.

 
RPI TOP 25
Utah State ranks 17th in the RPI as of Nov. 26, the highest-ranked Mountain West team. The next highest conference opponent in the RPI is Colorado State, coming in at 60th.
 
AGGIES IN THE POLL
The Aggies have received votes in the AVCA coaches poll in five-straight weeks, most recently on Nov. 26. Utah State earned votes in back-to-back weeks earlier this season (Sept. 4, Sept. 11). 
 
MOUNTAIN WEST COACH OF THE YEAR
Head coach Rob Neilson was named the MW Coach of the Year after leading the Aggies to a 17-1 mark in league play, the most conference wins in program history. The Aggie squad has ranked in the top-20 in the RPI multiple times this season, most recently at No. 17 on Nov. 26. USU has also received votes in the AVCA coaches' poll seven times this season, including each of the last five weeks. Utah State ranked in the top-three of the MW in several categories in league play, including assists per set (13.20, 1st), kills per set (14.12, 1st), service aces per set (1.87, 1st), opponent hitting percentage (.198, 2nd) and hitting percentage (.269, 3rd).
 
ALL-MOUNTAIN WEST
Utah State boasted three all-Mountain West honorees in graduate senior outside hitter Shelby Capllonch, senior outside Tatum Stall and junior opposite side hitter Adna Mehmedovic, while freshman libero Kambree Rodriguez was named an honorable mention.
 
HOT IN CONFERENCE PLAY

• Utah State finished 17-1 in Mountain West play. The 17 wins are the most conference wins in program history.
• Utah State finished five games ahead of second-place Colorado State. Only two other teams in Mountain West history have finished the conference season five games ahead of the second-place team as Colorado State finished 19-1 while New Mexico finished 14-6 in 2013, while the Rams were 17-1 and Wyoming was 12-6 in 2017.

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