LOGAN, Utah – Utah State volleyball (5-1) has won five-straight matches, including a perfect 3-0 for home, after recording a 3-2 victory against LMU (2-3) on Saturday.
"I have so much respect for that coaching staff at LMU and for that team," head coach
Rob Neilson said. "They're talented. They're physical. They play the game the right way. They're tough. For them to come into this environment and play as well as they did, hats off to them.
"It was about making little adjustments and little strategies. What we're going to defend here and what we're going to give up. We just ended up making enough plays to win. I'm really proud of our team."
Four Aggies logged double-digit kills in the match as senior outside hitter
Tatum Stall had a match-best 18, while graduate outside
Shelby Capllonch had 16, graduate middle blocker
Kennedi Boyd had 10 and junior opposite side hitter
Adna Mehmedovic had 10. Capllonch logged her 40th career double-double after finishing with a match-high 14 digs.
Sophomore setter
Leah Wilton-LaBoy led USU with 24 assists and a career-high-tying four service aces, while junior setter
Beatriz Rodrigues added 23 assists.
Defensively, Boyd and senior middle blocker
Kelsey Watson each led Utah State with three blocks. Freshman libero
Kambree Rodriguez rounded out the Aggie leaders with 11 digs.
After trading the first few points of the opening set, a 6-1 Utah State run, capped by a Wilton-LaBoy ace, gave USU a 10-6 advantage. The back and forth continued until a 3-0 run, this time capped by a Boyd block, extended the Aggie advantage to 16-11. Utah State pushed its lead to double figures with a 5-0 run, highlighted by a pair of Stall kills, Watson and Stall block, and another Wilton-LaBoy ace, for the 23-13 edge. LMU scored three of the next four points before a Capllonch hammer gave USU the 25-16 win.
The Lions, who received votes in the AVCA Coaches Poll, bounced back to tie it at 1-1 with a 25-17 set two victory.
The score stayed tight in set three with LMU eventually taking an 18-15 advantage. USU turned around with a huge 8-1 run, capped by a Stall ace, to take a 23-19 lead. The Lions scored once more before back-to-back Capllonch kills secured the 25-20 Aggie victory.
A 5-0 Utah State run, featuring a Rodriguez ace and kills from Mehmedovic and Capllonch, gave USU a 14-12 lead in the fourth. LMU responded with a 9-2 spurt for the 21-16 edge. The Aggies scored twice more, but the Lions scored the final four points for the 25-18 win.
After a Capllonch kill gave Utah State the 5-4 lead in the final set, LMU scored five unanswered points for the 9-5 advantage. USU answered right back with a 4-0 run, capped by another Capllonch hammer, to tie it. The teams went back and forth until a USU attack error gave LMU the 13-12 edge.
Utah State was ready to protect its home court, however, as a kill from Stall evened the score and a Lion attack error put USU at match point. Wilton-LaBoy then clinched the 15-13 victory with her fourth ace of the match as Utah State remains undefeated at home.
"It was very nerve-wracking at the beginning," Wilton-LaBoy said. "As soon as I saw it go over the net, I knew. It was so cool. Hearing everyone behind me at Club Estes going, it really fueled me to get that serve. Coincidently, Chloe (Hirst) was telling me to serve somewhere else and I didn't even hear her."
Overall, USU hit .260 (63-23-154), while LMU hit .279 (56-18-136).
Utah State next travels to College Station, Texas, for a tournament hosted by Texas A&M (5-0). The Aggies from Logan begin the tournament by taking on the Aggies from the Lone Star State on Thursday, Sept. 7, at 6:30 p.m. (MT).
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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