LOGAN, Utah – Utah State volleyball celebrated Senior Day in style, completing an undefeated 18-0 season in Mountain West play with a 3-0 (25-18, 25-16, 28-26) win over Nevada on Saturday afternoon at the Wayne Estes Center.

This is only the second time in program history USU has gone undefeated in conference play, last doing so in 1979 when the team went 10-0 in the Intermountain Athletic Conference, and is also only the sixth instance of a team going undefeated through conference play in MW history. It is also only the eighth time Utah State has gone undefeated in conference play in any sport, last being accomplished by men's tennis in 2018. 

The Aggies also extended their overall winning streak to 19 matches, the third-longest streak in program history, trailing only a 23-game streak spanning the team's 1978 national title season and 1979, and a program-record 26-game streak in 1978. USU's streak is now tied for the fourth-longest active streak in the nation.

Set One
After celebrating the careers of senior middle blocker Tierney Barlow and junior libero/defensive specialist Kendel Thompson prior to the match, the Aggies set out to deliver a Senior Day victory with an 8-1 run to take early control of the match. Sophomore outside hitter Andrea Simovski powered the run with back-to-back aces while the Aggie defense forced five attacking errors from the Wolf Pack. Nevada, however, responded with a 9-3 stretch to jump in front midway through the set. Barlow helped turn the tide back to USU's favor with a pair of kills and a block alongside Simovski before Utah State then closed out the set with a 6-0 burst. Sophomore setter Kaylie Kofe recorded a kill and ace during the final stretch to help the Aggies take the opening frame, 25-18. 

Set Two
The Wolf Pack took an early 6-4 lead before Utah State responded with a 9-2 stretch to again lay claim to the set. Sophomore outside hitter Mara Štiglic posted three kills during the run and combined with redshirt freshman middle blocker Lauren Larkin for a block to key the run. Nevada clawed back within a point at 15-14 before a Larkin kill plus an ace by Thompson preserved USU's advantage. The Wolf Pack never came closer than two points of the lead over the remainder of the set as Simovski capped a 3-0 Aggie burst with her second ace of the set and fourth of the match to put Utah State up by five late in the frame. Kofe would later join the ace party to seal the 25-20 victory in the set.

Set Three
The final set proved to be the toughest for USU despite an early 9-3 Aggie run. Štiglic recorded a pair of kills while Thompson added another ace to help Utah State build a 15-10 lead. Nevada immediately tightened the match with a 4-0 run, however, and later took the lead outright with another 4-0 burst to go ahead 23-21. In the closing stages, Barlow and Štiglic pulled through with several clutch plays for the Aggies to take a 28-26 win. USU fought off back-to-back set points from the Wolf Pack, first with a Barlow kill and then with Barlow and Štiglic combining on a block to tie the set at 24-24. After Nevada again arrived to set point with a 26-25 advantage, the Aggies again answered, this time with a pair of Štiglic kills surrounding a Barlow ace to comprise a 3-0 run to clinch the set and the match.

Quick Notes

• Utah State hit .307 for the match, their 15th match of MW play with over a .250 hitting percentage, including an active streak of nine-straight. The Aggies are now hitting .264 on the season, a mark which would break the current program record of .238 set in 2016.
• USU is now averaging 15.33 kills per set during MW play, the top mark in the league and over a full kill more than second-place Colorado State (14.25). Utah State's 15.37 kills-per-set average would rank first in the nation over the entire season. As it stands, the Aggies are tied for 12th nationally with 14.13 kills per set.
• Štiglic led the Aggies with 15 kills on a .423 hitting percentage, also adding three blocks, two digs and an ace. Štiglic has recorded double-digit kills in 25 of 28 matches this season.
• Barlow added nine kills on a .500 hitting percentage, also adding a team-high five blocks, three digs and an ace.
• Thompson led the Aggies with 11 digs, her sixth-straight match with double-digit digs, and added two aces.
• Simovski led USU with four aces, also filling the stat sheet with seven digs, four kills, three blocks and two assists.
• Kofe led the Aggies with 29 assists, also adding two kills, two aces, three digs and a solo block.

Up Next
The Aggies prepare for the Mountain West Tournament held at the Pavilion in Las Vegas, Nevada. Utah State enters as the No. 1 overall seed and will begin its run in the semifinals on Friday, Nov. 28, at 2 p.m. (MT), against the winner between the No. 4 and 5 seeds. Should USU advance, the MW Championship will be on Saturday, Nov. 29, at 4 p.m. (MT).

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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