BOISE, Idaho – Utah State volleyball continued its dominant stretch to begin Mountain West play, improving to 8-0 in conference play with a 3-1 (25-13, 25-20, 18-25, 25-9) victory over Boise State on Saturday evening at Bronco Gym.
 
Set One
Fresh off back-to-back sweeps entering the match, the Aggies picked up where they left off with a 25-13 victory to open the match. A 9-1 burst turned an early 5-4 BSU lead into a 13-6 advantage for Utah State. Sophomore outside hitter Andrea Simovski recorded a kill and ace to kick off the run before redshirt freshman middle blocker Lauren Larkin capped it with a kill and a block alongside sophomore outside hitter Mara Štiglic. USU attacked from the service line to close out the set as Štiglic and junior libero/defensive specialist Kendel Thompson both recorded aces to help the Aggies close out the opening set win.
 
Set Two
The second set proved more of a challenge as the Aggies led for much of the early going but were unable to build a lead larger than two points through the media timeout. USU again came through at the service line, though, as an ace from senior middle blocker Tierney Barlow keyed a 4-0 spurt for the Aggies to take an 18-14 lead. Barlow and sophomore opposite side hitter Loryn Helgesen then powered USU to the finish line with Helgesen recording two kills, Barlow one and the pair combining for a block to help secure the 25-20 victory. 
 
Set Three
Utah State threatened a sweep after opening the third set on a 5-1 run that featured kills from Helgesen, Larkin and Simovski. The Broncos answered back with a 5-1 run of their own to tie the set at 6-6. Both sides continued to battle to a 12-12 tie before Boise State went on a 6-0 run to ultimately take the third frame, 25-18, and force the match to a fourth set.
 
Set Four
This time, the Aggies would leave no doubt, going on a 12-2 run out of the gates in the fourth set. USU dominated on both offense and defense as Barlow and Helgesen twice joined together for blocks while the duo plus Larkin, Štiglic and sophomore outside hitter Delaney Lawson all recorded kills to shift momentum back to the Aggies' side. Boise State used a 3-0 burst to claw back with seven points before USU fully shut the door with a 10-1 run to close out the match. Štiglic recorded six kills during the run, including three-straight to kick it off, while Helgesen added two kills and a block alongside Larkin to help the Aggies close out a 25-9 victory, their second set this season holding an opponent to single digits.
 
Quick Notes

• Utah State hit .336 for the match, their third-straight match hitting over .300 after posting a .462 mark at Colorado State and a program-record .567 hitting percentage against Fresno State.
• Helgesen led the Aggies with 17 kills on an even .500 hitting percentage while Barlow led USU with a .525 hitting percentage while posting 14 kills. Štiglic finished with 16 kills while hitting .333.
• Thompson recorded her first career double-double, finishing with 12 digs and 12 assists while also leading the team with two service aces.
• Kofe led the Aggies in both assists and digs, finishing with 42 and 17, respectively, to record her seventh double-double this season.
• Helgesen finished with a career-high six blocks, tying for the team lead alongside Barlow. Larkin also added four blocks plus five kills on a .444 hitting percentage.
• The Aggies are now 8-0 to begin conference play for the first time since 1979 when the Aggies went an undefeated 10-0 in the IAC.
• USU's current nine-match winning streak is the program's fourth-longest of the 21st century, trailing only a 10-game streak in 2000, an 11-game streak in 2010 and a 14-game streak in 2023.

 
Up Next
Utah State returns to Cache Valley for a two-match home stand. The Aggies will first host San Diego State on Thursday, Oct. 23, at 8 p.m. (MT), before then taking on UNLV on Saturday, Oct. 25, at noon (MT). In an interesting scheduling quirk, USU will again face both San Diego State and UNLV on the road the following week.
 
Season tickets, mini-plans, and single-game tickets are on sale now and can be purchased here or by contacting the USU Ticket Office at 435-797-0305.
 
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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