SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — With 11 new freshmen on the roster, it did not take long for Utah State to face its first challenge of the 2024 season.
 
It did not take long for them to respond.
 
After dropping both the first and third sets, the Aggies rallied to claim a 3-2 (22-25, 28-26, 23-25, 25-16, 15-6) victory over Green Bay on Friday night at the Jon M. Huntsman Center.
 
Head coach Rob Neilson
"Just so fun to watch our team. Every game that we played last week in our exhibition, we got better and better. Every game we played tonight, we got better and better and better. We're still learning how to play together, learning our dynamic, learning how we'll respond to lots of different ups and downs in a game. But I'm so proud of this team and I am so excited for what's to come for Aggie nation.
 
"How do we respond and play together? How do we play confidently? I feel like we played with a lot of tension early on and that's characteristic of a young group that hasn't been in these moments before. So for us to relax, to find confidence and to trust ourselves, individually and each other, is really fun to see. That's what we'll be looking for going forward."
 
Set One
The Aggies made the first swing in the contest with a 6-0 run to build an 11-6 lead. The Phoenix responded with a 7-1 stretch to square the opening set at 13 apiece. After some back-and-forth action, Green Bay utilized a 4-0 spurt to secure the first-set advantage.
 
Set Two
The second set featured a tightly-contested battle as neither side led by more than three points throughout, ultimately leading to a 23-23 tie late in the set before the teams alternated the ensuing six rallies. A trio of kills from senior Adna Mehmedovic and juniors Tierney Barlow and Kaylie Ray carried USU through to win the set, 28-26.
 
Set Three
After knotting the match at one set apiece, the Aggies looked poised to claim the advantage in set three, going on a pair of 4-0 runs to ultimately build a 16-8 lead midway through the set. The Phoenix immediately erased the lead with an 8-0 run, however, and then used a late 3-0 to secure a 25-23 win in the set.
 
Set Four
Needing to win to force a fifth set, Utah State came out firing in the fourth stanza, opening up a 7-1 lead. The lead grew to double digits at 22-12 as the Aggies coasted to a 25-16 victory to send the match to a deciding set.
 
Set Five
USU's momentum continued in the fifth set as the Aggies jumped out to a 3-0 lead. After Green Bay clawed back to a 4-4 tie, Utah State dropped the hammer to gain control and ultimately the victory. The Aggies ended the match on 7-0 run, scoring six consecutive kills before a service ace from Barlow clinched the win, 15-6.
 
QUICK NOTES

• Freshman Andrea Simovski led the Aggie offense with 21 kills on 41 attempts, recording a .439 hitting percentage in her first career outing. Simovski also registered a double-double by reaching 10 digs.
• Five Aggies reached double-digit digs on the night as Simovski was joined by freshmen Jagoda Bialek (16), Delaney Lawson (14) and Kaylie Kofe (12), plus sophomore Olivia Tukuafu (12).
• In addition to Simovski, Kofe and Tukuafu also recorded double-doubles as the duo registered 22 and 28 assists, respectively. 
• Mehmedovic and Ray each also reached the 10-kill plateau as the pair finished with 14 and 12 kills, respectively. 
• Simovski and Barlow each posted two aces to pace USU from the service line. 
• Graduate senior Kelsey Watson led the Aggies' blocking efforts with five total blocks, including one solo.
• Utah State is now 3-2 in season-openers under head coach Rob Neilson. This is also the first time USU has begun a season with a victory away from home since defeating Louisiana Monroe as part of the Arkansas Classic to begin the 2017 season.
• The Aggies have now won 15 consecutive regular season matches dating back to last year.

NEXT UP
Utah State continues play at the Utah Classic by playing tournament-host Utah tomorrow at 5 p.m. (MT). The match will be available for streaming on ESPN+.
 
Season ticket deposits for the 2024 season are available now. Save your seat today by clicking on the following link: https://utahstateaggies.evenue.net/list/VB 
 
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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