LOGAN, Utah – Utah State heads back to the road to take part in the Mountain West Tuesday Night Block Party at Nevada on Tuesday, Oct. 15, at 7 p.m. (MT). The Aggies will then take on Boise State on Saturday, Oct. 19, at noon (MT).
 
FOLLOW ALONG
All Mountain West matches will be streamed via the Mountain West Network. Links for live stats will be available through UtahStateAggies.com.
 
AGGIES VS. EVERYONE
Utah State leads the all-time series against Nevada, 30-25, but is only 8-17 against the Wolf Pack in Reno. The Aggies are currently on a seven match winning streak against Nevada, comprising head coach Rob Neilson's entire career against the Wolf Pack, and has not dropped a set to Nevada since 2021. USU was won three straight road games in the series, and last lost to the Wolf Pack in 2019 in Reno. Since becoming conference mates in the WAC in 2005, USU is 24-11 against Nevada. The two sides have met in the postseason once, with Utah State defeating Nevada, 3-1, in the opening round of the 2010 WAC Tournament, which USU would go on to win. 
 
The Aggies and Broncos will face off for the 53rd time in program history on Saturday, with Boise State holding a 29-23 edge, including a 16-9 mark in Boise. The Broncos won the first 14 games in the series before USU won 13 of the next 14, including seven of the first eight meetings as conference members of the WAC. Since joining the MW, Utah State is 9-12 against the Broncos but has won each of the past four meetings, including road victories in each of the past two seasons. Neilson is 5-3 against the Broncos in his career at USU.
 
ICYMI
The Aggies extended their winning streak to four matches with a pair of home victories over New Mexico and Air Force. Against the Lobos, Utah State erased a seven-point deficit late in the fourth set, closing the match on a 7-0 run to secure the 3-1 victory. USU followed up the win with a dominant performance against the Falcons, holding AF under 20 points in each set during a 3-0 sweep.
 
DOUBLE DOUBLE-DOUBLES
Freshmen Kaylie Kofe and Andrea Simovski each scored a double-double in USU's 3-1 victory over New Mexico, their third time this season scoring a double-double in the same game. Kofe finished with a career-high 52 assists and 10 digs, while Simovski recorded an even 10 kills and 10 digs. The pair also recorded double-doubles together versus San Diego State and as part of a double-double trio alongside freshman Olivia Tukuafu against Green Bay in the season opener. Kofe and freshman Mara Štiglić posted double-doubles against Weber State to make it four games with multiple double-doubles for USU. All told, the Aggies have registered 10 double-doubles this season, with Simovski and Kofe leading the way with four apiece.
 
HITTING THEIR STRIDE
The Aggies are currently on a four-match winning streak and have climbed to the top of the MW in several statistical categories. During conferece play, Utah State currently ranks second in assists per set (12.52), second in kills per set (13.64) and third in hitting percentage (.227). Individually, Kofe ranks fourth in the MW with 8.92 assists per set, while Barlow ranks fifth in the league with a .378 hitting percentage and 1.24 blocks per set.
 
GOING THE DISTANCE
The Aggies played seven consecutive matches which went a full five sets, beginning with the team's win over Ohio and ending with USU's comeback win at San Diego State. According to available sources and research, this is the longest known streak of five-set matches in women's volleyball history at the Division-I level.
 
FRESHMAN PHENOMS
When Utah State welcomed No. 8 Purdue to the Wayne Estes Center, the first top-10 opponent to come to Logan since 2014, freshman Loryn Helgesen led the Aggie attack with 12 kills on only 19 attempts. Helgesen's hitting percentage of .526 in the match was the highest by an Aggie this season with at least 10 kills.
 
In the season opener against Green Bay, Simovski led the Aggies with 21 kills, recording a .439 hitting percentage. Simovski's 21 kills rank as the most by an Aggie freshman since at least 2014 (prior records are not immediately available).
 
Against New Mexico, Kofe finished with a career-high 52 assists, the most assists by an Aggie in a single match since Kassidy Johnson recorded 56 assists against Air Force in 2017. Kofe's 52 assists are also the most in the Mountain West this season for a match going fewer than five sets.
 
A freshman leads the Aggies this season in digs (Simovski, 133), assists (Kofe, 413) and aces (Simovski, 19). USU's top-three players in serves received are also all freshmen (Delaney Lawson, 335; Simovski, 320; Bialek, 272). Štiglić also ranks second on the team in both kills per set (2.49) and points per set (2.99).
 
CAN I DIG IT?
Redshirt sophomore Kendel Thompson accrued a career-high 23 digs in Utah State's match versus Wyoming. Thompson's 23 digs were the most by a Utah State player in a single match since former Aggie Jordi Holdaway recorded 25 digs against Air Force in 2022. During MW play, Thompson ranks tied for seventh in the conference with 3.44 digs per set.  With 17 digs in USU's 3-0 sweep at UNLV, Simovski ranks first in the MW this season for digs in a single three-set match.
 
TAKING TURNS
Five different Aggie hitters have led the team in kills in this season. Senior Adna Mehmedovic has led the Aggies in kills a team-high seven times, while Helgesen has done so on four occasions. Simovski has now led the team in kills three times this season after tying Barlow in their most recent match against Air Force, which was Barlow's first time leading the team in kills. Štiglić led the team in kills for the first time this season against New Mexico. Lawson and junior Kaylie Ray have each led USU in kills once this season, accomplishing the feat against Utah and Weber State, respectively.
 
ACES WILD
Freshman Andrea Simovski recorded five service aces in USU's 3-2 win over Ohio. The five aces are tied for the most by a Utah State player since former Aggie Beatriz Rodrigues recorded six aces against Fresno State on Nov. 3, 2022. As a team, the Aggies recorded 12 service aces against Weber State, their second match with 10 or more aces this season. The 12 aces were the most by USU in a match since recording 13 at New Mexico last season. Utah State is currently tied for fourth in the conference with 1.6 service aces per set during MW play.
 
YOUTH MOVEMENT
Utah State boasts the third-youngest roster by age in the nation. The Aggies' average age of 19.6 is only bested by Stephen F. Austin (18.5) and Army (19.0). USU has a total of 11 true freshmen on the team in 2024, plus one redshirt freshman (Rachel Reed). In total, the Aggies bring in 13 newcomers to the 2024 roster and return only four letterwinners in Kelsey Watson, Mehmedovic, Kaylie Ray and Kendel Thompson. 
 
WELCOME TO CLUB ESTES
Utah State has won 33 of its last 41 matches at home and is 37-9 in the last 46 matches played in Logan. The Aggies played in front of three sold-out crowds of 1,488 fans last season, first doing so against Utah on Aug. 30, 2023, to register the program's first sellout since 2015. USU then reached capacity against then-No. 12 BYU (Sept. 16) and San José State (Nov.9). Last year was the first season in which USU sold out the Estes on multiple occasions.
 
In the team's Spectrum Magic Night against Utah Valley, held in the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum, the Aggies set a program record with 2,559 fans in attendance.
 
WELL TRAVELED
Utah State boasts four international players on its roster, all freshmen, in Andrea Simovski (Belgrade, Serbia), Jagoda Bialek (Opole, Poland), Kate Lijić (Split, Croatia) and Mara Štiglić (Rijeka, Croatia).
 
TAKING STOCK OF THE CONFERENCE
The Aggies were picked to finish second in the Mountain West this season as voted in the MW preseason coaches poll. Utah State received a total of 84 points and two first-place votes in the poll, finishing behind Colorado State's 98 points and eight first-place votes. Boise State, Fresno State and UNLV rounded out the top-five of the poll, with UNLV also receiving the final first-place vote.
 
A YEAR TO REMEMBER
In 2023, Utah State won its third-straight Mountain West title as the Aggies became the outright MW regular season champions after finishing league play 17-1, the most conference wins in program history. USU earned its first-ever at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, marking its second-straight and sixth-ever appearance at the Tournament.
 
AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN
Utah State won the outright Mountain West regular season title in 2023, making it three-straight MW championships under head coach Rob Neilson. The Aggies also shared the MW regular season title in 2021 before 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.
 
FROM MANAGER TO UNIFORM
Utah State freshman defensive specialist Kendel Thompson was part of the 2022 Utah State volleyball team as a manager before officially joining the roster before the 2023 season.
 
BRING ON THE ACCOLADES
Utah State was represented by a pair of athletes on the all-MW preseason team. Mehmedovic and incoming juinor transfer Tierney Barlow each earned the honor after both were named to the all-MW team in 2023.  Mehmedovic was named to the all-MW team in 2023 after totaling 295 kills, averaging 2.68 per set, while adding 103 blocks, 69 digs and 10 assists. She was named the MW Offensive Player of the Week for the week ending Oct. 30 after posting back-to-back totals of 14 kills in wins over Colorado State and Wyoming, hitting .444 (28-4-54) during the two matches. Barlow was named all-Mountain West in 2023 while playing at Wyoming, recording 324 kills, averaging 2.97 per set, and added 124 total blocks, averaging 1.14 per set. She also had 77 digs, 31 service aces and six assists during the season. Barlow was also named the MW Freshman of the Year in 2022, also earning honorable mention all-MW the same season. Head coach Rob Neilson was also named the MW Coach of the Year in 2023, his second time receiving the honor after also earning the award in 2021.
 
KILLER QUEEN KELSEY
Graduate senior middle blocker Kelsey Watson is the only Aggie to ever hit 100 percent while logging at least 10 kills, doing so in last year's regular season finale at Nevada (Nov. 18, 2023). She now holds the school hitting percentage record for between 10-14 attempts as she was a perfect 10-for-10 against the Wolf Pack. 
 
UP NEXT
Utah State returns home to host Fresno State on Saturday, Oct. 26, at 1 p.m. at the Wayne Estes Center. USU previously forfeited their scheduled match versus San Jose State on Wednesday, Oct. 23.
 
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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