LOGAN, Utah – Utah State volleyball celebrated Senior Day in fashion, defeating San Diego State, 3-1 (25-19, 25-23, 21-25, 25-19), on Saturday night at the Wayne Estes Center. The Aggies celebrated the careers of
Adna Mehmedovic,
Kaylie Ray and
Kelsey Watson prior to the match.
Head coach Rob Neilson
"Senior night and we owe so much to Kelsey, Adna and K-Ray. Adna and K-Ray were part of our first recruiting class here. To see what they've built and to see what they've accomplished– those two have worked so hard over four years, and Kelsey has made such an impact these last two years coming in as a transfer. Watching their growth has been absolutely amazing. I love this group and I'm excited to write more of our story."
Set One
Following the senior day ceremony honoring the three Aggie seniors and four seniors from San Diego State, the Aggies began the match with a quick start, opening up a 10-4 lead to begin set one. The Aztecs slowly chipped away at the lead in response, several times cutting the deficit to two points. Ray halted momentum with a kill and then combined with Watson for a block to restore momentum to USU. The Aggies then closed the set on a 3-0 run. Mehmedovic began the burst with a kill before freshman
Jagoda Bialek and
Andrea Simovski closed out the 25-19 win with an ace and kill, respectively.
Set Two
San Diego State flipped the script in set two, starting off with a 6-1 run. The Aggies quickly answered back, however, using an 8-1 stretch to jump in front at 10-9. A battle for the lead ensued as SDSU leapfrogged ahead with a 3-0 run before USU responded with a 4-0 spurt to retake the lead. After the Aztecs tied the set at 15 all, the Aggies darted ahead with a 4-0 run before San Diego State again reeled back the deficit with a 7-2 burst to take a 22-21 lead. USU turned to its seniors again, with Ray recording three kills during a 4-1 stretch for the Aggies to take the second set, 25-23. Freshman
Kaylie Kofe finished out the win with a service ace, one of six on the night for the Aggies.
Set Three
Neither side could lay claim to momentum to begin set three as neither USU nor SDSU strung together more than two consecutive points through the early going. The Aztecs were able to create distance midway through, however, using an 8-3 stretch to go up 18-14. A 3-0 Aztec run put SDSU up 23-17. The Aggies attempted another late comeback, with Ray recording another two kills with SDSU holding set point, but were unable to fully erase the deficit as the Aztecs forced another set with a 25-21 win.
Set Four
The Aggies showed little desire to let the match go to five sets, grabbing momentum with a 6-0 blitz early in the fourth set. Utah State led by as many as six points early on before San Diego State tested USU with a 5-2 stretch to trim the lead to three points. The Aggies responded resoundingly, using a 5-1 run to re-extend their lead to seven. The Aztecs fought back again with four points before Utah State shut the door in the final stages. Kofe registered a kill to put USU at set point before Mehmedovic capped off senior day with the clinching kill for the 25-19 win.
Quick Notes
- With the win, the Aggies move to 11-5 in Mountain West play and remain tied with Fresno State for third place in the conference standings. With a Colorado State loss on Saturday, Utah State now sits only one game behind the Rams for first place.
- Utah State had four players record double-digit kills, led by Ray with 14. Mehmedovic and Simovski each had 13 kills, and junior Tierney Barlow recorded 10 kills. This is USU's second-consecutive match and only the third match this season with four players reaching the 10-kill plateau.
- Barlow led the Aggies with a .750 hitting percentage, while Mehmedovic ranked second on the team with a mark of .364.
- Kofe finished with 43 assists, also recording her fifth-straight double-double with 10 digs. Simovski also recorded a double-double with 10 digs alongside her 13 kills, her eighth of the season and the eighth time in which multiple Aggies have recorded double-doubles in the same match this season.
- Watson led the Aggies with six total blocks on the night, also adding five kills and three assists.
- Utah State hit .298 for the match, narrowly missing their seventh match with a .300 hitting percentage or better. The Aggies also held the Aztecs to a .179 hitting percentage, SDSU's second-lowest mark of the season.
Up Next
The Aggies head to the road to finish out the regular season. USU will face Wyoming on Thursday, Nov. 21, at 6:30 p.m., before wrapping up conference play at Colorado State on Saturday, Nov. 23, at noon. Utah State will then prepare for the Mountain West Tournament to take place on Wednesday-Saturday, Nov. 27-30, in Las Vegas.
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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