BACK IN ACTION
Utah State heads eastward to take on Wyoming on Thursday, Oct. 9, at 7 p.m. (MT), before facing Colorado State on Saturday, Oct. 11, at 1 p.m. (MT).
 
FOLLOW ALONG
All Aggie matches during conference play will stream on the Mountain West Network with live stats available through UtahStateAggies.com.
 
QUITE THE SETUP
Sophomore setter Kaylie Kofe was named the Mountain West Offensive Player of the Week after recording 120 total assists in a pair of five-set wins over San Jose State and Boise State. Against the Broncos, Kofe finished with 62 assists, the most by any MW player this season and tied for the second-most in the nation. Kofe's 62 assists are also the most by an Aggie in a single match since Erica Moscoso recorded 67 assists against UNLV in 2016. Against the Spartans, Kofe recorded 58 assists, the third-most by any MW player this season. Kofe is the only player in the country with multiple matches of 55 or more assists. She currently ranks 14th in the nation on the full season with 10.44 assists per set.
 
AGGIES VS. EVERYONE
Utah State trails the all-time series against Wyoming, 26-23, but has won six of the past seven meetings, including a five-set road win in Laramie last year. In fact, the Aggies have won four-straight at Wyoming, last falling on the road in 2019, and is 12-11 all-time in Laramie against the Cowgirls. Wyoming did win a five-set match in Logan last season to snap a five-game winning streak by USU in the series. The series has often been dominated in stretches as Utah State won their first nine meetings against Wyoming before the Cowgirls rattled off 13 of the next 14. The Aggies then won six straight before Wyoming then took 12 of the next 13 matches preceding Utah State's current 6-1 stretch in the series.
 
Colorado State leads the series against USU, 36-17. After the Aggies won 14 of the first 15 matches against the Rams from 1976-82, CSU won 32 straight matches in the series. Utah State broke the skid with a 3-1 victory at home on Nov. 18, 2021. The Aggies also swept the season series in 2023, including the team's only road win over CSU since 1982. The Rams returned the favor last season with wins on the road and at home. USU is 7-18 all-time in Fort Collins against the Rams.
 
BLESS MY SOUL, AGS ARE ON A ROLL
Utah State has won five straight matches and is now 4-0 to begin conference play for the first time since starting 4-0 during WAC play in 2005. The Aggies last began conference play at 5-0 or better in 1980 when the team opened play in the IAC with six-straight wins. USU's current streak also featured three-straight sweeps over Weber State, New Mexico and Grand Canyon, a feat the team has accomplished only four times during the 25-point rally-scoring era (since 2008) and not since a three-game streak spanning the 2016 and 2017 seasons. 
 
CONSISTENCY, CONSISTENT KEY
Sophomore opposite side hitter Mara Štiglic has posted double-digit kills in 12 of Utah State's 14 matches so far this season and has led the Aggies in kills on seven occasions, leading the team in both categories by a considerable margin. 
 
SMASHING PERFORMANCE
Opposite side hitter Loryn Helgesen rewrote the record books against Grand Canyon. The product of Kaysville, Utah, hit .704 while recording 20 kills with only one error on 27 attempts, setting a program record for hitting percentage of 20-plus attempts. Helgesen's perfomrnace also ranks as the highest hitting percentage by a non-senior in a conference match in MW history (min. 10 kills). 
 
The Aggies came out on fire in the first set against the Lopes, hitting a blistering .741 as a team for the set as the team recorded 20 kills, a season-high for a single set, and recorded no attacking errors on 27 attempts. 
 
CLIMBING THE MOUNTAIN
Utah State is at the top of the Mountain West in several categories in conference play. The Aggies currently lead the league in hitting percentage (.282), assists per set (14.56) and kills per set (15.69). USU also ranks second in digs per set (16.50) and service aces per set (1.56).
 
Kofe sits atop the conference during MW play with 12.50 assists per set. The Aggies are the only team with three players ranking in the top 10 for each of hitting percentage, kills per set and points per set. Helgesen currently ranks third in kills per set (3.88) and points per set (4.50), and is eighth in hitting percentage (.369). Štiglic ranks fourth in kills and points per set at 3.81 and 4.44, respectively, and also ranks third with 0.44 aces per set. Outside hitter Andrea Simovski sits at ninth with 3.14 kills per set and is tied for 10th with 3.54 points per set. Middle blockers Lauren Larkin and Tierney Barlow both ranks in the top 10 for hitting percentage at second and seventh, respectively, with marks of .438 and .380, while Larkin also ranks 10th with 1.25 blocks per set. Libero/defensive specialist Kendel Thompson ranks fourth in the league with 4.13 digs per set during conference play.
 
DIFFICULT TERRAIN
Utah State debuted at 68th in the first edition of the NCAA RPI rankings, the second-highest ranking in the Mountain West behind only Boise State (60th). USU's strength of schedule is a large reason why as the Aggies' full-season schedule ranks as the toughest in the Mountain West by opponent winning percentage (.583). Furthermore, Utah State's schedule to this point ranks as the 22nd-most difficult in the nation by opponent winning percentage (.635). Wyoming, coincidentally, has had the second-most difficult schedule among MW teams so far with their played opponents having posted a .581 winning percentage.
 
DRAWING A CROWD
Utah State set a new program record in home attendance earlier this season against BYU. Playing in the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum, the Aggies drew 4,932 fans, shattering the previous program attendance record of 2,559, set last season in the Spectrum versus Utah Valley.
 
TOP MARKS AGAINST TOP COMPETITION
Despite falling in three sets to then-No. 16 BYU, Utah State hit .258 as a team versus the Cougars, the program's highest hitting percentage against a top-25 team since hitting .301 to win the WAC Tournament title against then-No. 3 Hawai'i in 2010. Barlow posted 11 kills on a .733 hitting percentage, the highest-ever hitting percentage by an Aggie against a top-25 squad according to available records.
 
PEAK RECOGNITIONS
The Aggies have earned weekly honors from the Mountain West in three-straight weeks after Kofe was named Offensive Player of the Week this week. Larkin earned Freshman of the Week after leading USU with eight total blocks during a pair of sweeps at New Mexico and Grand Canyon last week. Štiglic earned Offensive honors after posting 46 kills on a .312 hitting percentage against Utah Valley, BYU and Weber State. Earlier this season, Barlow also earned Offensive Player of the Week after posting a .385 hitting percentage during the team's season-opening weekend at the Rainbow Wahine Volleyball Classic. 
 
CAN I DIG IT?
Thompson tied her career-high with 23 digs against Marquette, previously having done so last season against Wyoming. Thompson's 23 digs are the most by a Utah State player in a single match since former Aggie Jordi Holdaway recorded 25 digs against Air Force in 2022. Thompson was part of the 2022 Utah State volleyball team as a manager before officially joining the roster before the 2023 season. 
 
IS THIS WHAT YOU CALL A BLOCK CHAIN?
Napierski recorded nine total rejections against Marquette, including one solo block, shattering her previous career-high of six total blocks last season against Weber State. Napierski's nine blocks are tied for the seventh-most by any MW player so far this season.
 
A PRECIOUS WIN ON THE ISLAND
Utah State defeated Hawaii, 3-0, last weekend as part of the Rainbow Wahine Volleyball Classic. The win was the program's first road win over Hawaii since 2007 and only the fourth time in program history the Aggies have defeated the Rainbow Wahine on the road. Utah State and Hawaii were previously conference mates in the Big West from 1990-95 and the WAC from 2005-11.
 
BACK FOR MORE
The Aggies boast a pair of players who received preseason all-Mountain West recognition this season, making Utah State the only team in the conference with multiple selectees. Barlow and Kofe each earned the honor. Both also earned all-MW honors last season, as Barlow was named to the all-MW team for the second time in her career, first earning the award in 2023 while at Wyoming. Kofe earned all-MW honorable mention last season, one of only three freshmen to receive all-MW honors from the conference last year. 
 
WELL TRAVELED
Utah State has three international players on its roster in sophomores outside hitter Andrea Simovski (Belgrade, Serbia), libero/defensive specialist Jagoda Bialek (Opole, Poland) and outside hitter Mara Štiglić (Rijeka, Croatia). USU's 2025 roster also features eight different U.S. states (Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Indiana, Texas, Utah and Washington). 
 
EARNED RESPECT
The Aggies enter the 2025 campaign as preseason favorites to win the Mountain West title according the conference's preseason coaches poll. Utah State received seven of 12 first-place votes and 114 total points, finishing ahead of second-place Colorado State with 106 points and three first-place votes. San Diego State received the final two first-place votes and placed third with 96 points. This is the second time in the past three seasons the Aggies have been picked to win the conference after also entering the 2023 season as preseason favorites. It is also the fourth-straight year USU has been picked in the top two entering the season after heading into 2022 and 2024 picked second in the preseason poll.
 
BEEN HERE BEFORE
Utah State loses only three letterwinners from the 2024 squad, needing only to replace graduated seniors Adna Mehmedovic, Kelsey Watson and Kaylie Ray. The Aggies return eight letterwinners from last year, including seven players who appeared in over 20 matches and four players who appeared in all 29 matches last season. Barlow, redshirt junior Kendel Thompson and freshmen outside hitters Andrea Simovski and Delaney Lawson all saw action in every match of 2024, with Barlow also starting every match. Kofe appeared in 28 matches, while sophomore libero/defensive specialist Jagoda Bialek, sophomore right side hitter Loryn Helgesen and sophomore outside hitter Mara Stiglic appeared in 27, 22 and 15 matches, respectively. Additionally, sophomore middlbe blocker Ava Napierski and junior setter Olivia Tukuafu appeared in 11 and 10 matches, respectively, during the 2024 season.
 
YOUTH MOVEMENT
This year, Utah State's roster still leans young as the Aggies field only one senior (Barlow) and two juniors (Kendel Thompson and Olivia Tukuafu). Seven sophomores and two redshirt freshmen return from last season's roster in addition to two sophomore transfers (Cala Cooper and Ava Nakai) joining USU. The Aggies also bring in three true freshmen for 2025 (Ava Martin, Hailey Spencer and Sadie Warren).
 
USU boasted the third-youngest roster by age in the nation last season, fielding 12 freshmen out of 18 rostered players.
 
GOING THE DISTANCE
Last year, 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. USU played in 12 five-set matches last season, going 6-6 in those contests.
 
SHATTERED RECORDS
In Utah State's first match against the Broncos in 2024, the Aggies set a new program record for hitting percentage in a five-set match. USU hit .371 in the 3-2 win against the Broncos, breaking the previous record of .361 against Alaska-Fairbanks in 1997 and ranking third in the nation last season for hitting percentage in a five-set match. 
 
HITTER'S PARADISE
Utah State hit an even .500 at home last season against Nevada, finishing with 40 kills and only five attack errors on 70 attempts. It was USU's first time hitting at least .500 since setting the program record of .550 against VCU in 1997. The Aggies' five attack errors were also the fewest by the team since that same match. It was also USU's third consecutive match hitting over .300, tying for their longest such streak since joining the Mountain West in 2013, previously doing so in 2023 and spanning the 2016 and 2017 seasons.
 
KILLER PERFORMANCES
Simovski recorded four matches last season of 20 kills or more, becoming only the second Aggie in the MW era (since 2013) with three matches of 20+ kills in the same season, joining Lauren Anderson (2017). Simovski and Štiglić each topped 20 kills against Boise State, while Simovski and former Aggie Kaylie Ray achieved the feat against UNLV. Prior to 2024, Utah State had never recorded any such instances of multiple 20-kill performances in the same match since joining the Mountain West in 2013.
 
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.
 
UP NEXT
Utah State faces a split week of competition, first hosting Fresno State at the Wayne Estes Center on Thursday, Oct. 16, at 6 p.m., before heading to the road for the weekend to face Boise State on Saturday, Oct. 18, at noon (MT).

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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