BACK IN ACTION
The Aggies return home for a pair of crucial matches versus teams currently in MW Tournament position. Utah State will first host second-place Colorado State on Thursday, Nov. 6, at 6 p.m., before facing Wyoming, which currently sits third in the conference standings, on Saturday, Nov. 8, at noon.

FOLLOW ALONG
All Aggie matches during conference play will stream on the Mountain West Network with live stats available through UtahStateAggies.com.

NOT SO SCARY SEASON
Utah State went an undefeated 9-0 during the month of October. This is the second time in the past three season the Aggies have gone unbeaten during October as USU went 8-0 during the month en route to a regular season title in 2023.

TICKET PUNCHED
With a victory last weekend over UNLV, Utah State officially punched its ticket to the Mountain West Tournament with six matches remaining in the regular season. The Aggies have now qualified for every MW Tournament since the conference reinstated the format in 2021. USU also holds a two-game lead on second-place Colorado State and holds a four-game lead on third-place Wyoming in the race to clinch a first-round bye in the conference tournament.

HITTING THE CENTURY MARK
Utah State head coach Rob Neilson hit the century mark for his career in the team's 3-2 win over San Diego State. Now at 103-58 for his career entering this week, Neilson is just the fourth coach in Aggie history to record 100 wins and the fastest Aggie coach to reach the 100-win plateau since Marilyn McReavy and Mary Jo Pepper in 1978. Neilson is one of only two active coaches in the MW to reach 100 career wins, joining Boise State's Shawn Garus.

BATTERING RAMS
Earlier this season, Utah State won at Colorado State for only the second time since 1982. The Aggies previously snapped a 16-game road skid versus the Rams in 2023 and have now won two of the past three meetings against CSU in Fort Collins. This was also the first time USU has swept the Rams in either Fort Collins or Logan since 1982. USU's .462 hitting percentage is the highest hitting percentage allowed by CSU since 2022. 

THREE-HEADED DRAGONS
Utah State had three players top 15 kills in the same match in three-straight games. Against San Jose State, sophomore outside hitter Mara Štiglic (17), senior middle blocker Tierney Barlow (16) and sophomore opposite side hitter Loryn Helgesen (15) reached the plateau while Štiglic (21), sophomore outside hitter Andrea Simovski (19) and Helgesen (18) then did so against Boise State. The trio of Štiglic (18), Simovski (17) and Helgesen (15) then did so against Wyoming. This is the first time USU has achieved this feat in three-straight matches in the 25-point rally-scoring era. Furthermore, the Aggies had registered only seven such games since 2010 and had only achieved three across a full season only once before when the trio of Lauren Anderson, Kayla DeCoursey and Kaylie Kamalu did so three times in 2016. 

READY, SET, GO!
Kofe has proved vital to Utah State's success after arriving in Logan as a walk-on before last season. In fact, the Aggies have gone 21-4 over the past two seasons when Kofe tops 10.0 assists per set in a match, compared to an 9-17 record otherwise. Furthermore, USU is an undefeated 13-0 when Kofe clears 11.5 assists per set during her career.

Kofe had a career week earlier this season, recording 120 total assists in a pair of five-set wins over San Jose State and Boise State, earning MW Offensive Player of the Week honors. Against the Broncos, Kofe finished with 62 assists, the most by any MW player this season and tied for the eighth-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 currently ranks ninth in the nation on the full season with 10.61 assists per set.

CLIMBING THE MOUNTAIN
Utah State is at the top of the Mountain West in numerous categories in conference play. The Aggies currently lead the league in hitting percentage (.303), hitting percentage allowed (.171), assists per set (14.00), kills per set (15.04) and aces per set (1.85). USU also owns the top single-match performance during conference play for aces (14 vs Fresno State) and digs (90 vs Boise State), and owns the top four performances for hitting percentage (.567 vs Fresno State, .462 at Colorado State, .414 at Grand Canyon, .390 at UNLV).

Sophomore setter Kaylie Kofe sits atop the conference during MW play with 11.46 assists per set and is one of only two players averaging more than 11.00 assists per set. Barlow also leads the league with a .413 hitting percentage during conference play and is the only player hitting over .400 against MW competition. Helgesen also ranks fourth in the league with a .375 hitting percentage and is the only player in the top 10 with over 130 kills, totaling 185, second-most in the conference. Helgesen and Štiglic rank third and sixth, respectively, with 4.02 and 3.61 kills per set. The duo also sit in third and fifth, respectively, with 4.61 and 4.23 points per set. Junior libero/defensive specialist Kendel Thompson ranks third in the league with 0.37 aces per set and ranks fifth with 3.74 digs per set during conference play.

A HIGH CLIP
Utah State set a program record for hitting percentage in a three-set match, hitting .567 against Fresno State. The Aggies recorded 43 kills to only five errors on 67 total attempts to break the previous record of .550, set against VCU in 1997. USU also posted 14 aces in the match, coming within one of the program record of 15 for a three-set match. 

AGGIES VS. EVERYONE
Utah State trails the all-time series against Colorado State, 18-36, including a 6-14 mark at home. The series has begun to shift, however, after 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 and took a 3-0 road win earlier this season for only USU's second win in Fort Collins since 1982. The Aggies have now won four of the past seven against the Rams. 

Utah State trails the all-time series against Wyoming, 26-24, but has won seven of the past eight meetings, including a four-set road win in Laramie earlier this year. In fact, the Aggies have won five-straight at Wyoming, last falling on the road in 2019. USU is 7-13 at home against Wyoming, including a five-set loss in Logan last season to snap a five-game overall 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 7-1 stretch in the series.

ROAD WARRIORS
Utah State has gone 9-1 in true road matches this season, picking up wins at Hawaii, Utah Valley, New Mexico, Grand Canyon, Wyoming, Colorado State, Boise State, San Diego State and UNLV, while only falling at No. 5 Stanford. USU's road record is tied for seventh-best in the nation by winning percentage and would also be a program record for a season, topping the previous mark of .762 (16-5) set in 1977.

BLESS MY SOUL, AGS ARE ON A ROLL
Utah State has won 13 straight matches overall, the seventh-longest active streak in the nation, and is now 12-0 to begin conference play for the first time in program history. USU's current 13-match streak is tied for the sixth-longest in program history according to available records, tying an 11-game streak in 2010 and trailing only the following:
 • 14-game streak in 2023
 • 15-game streak in 1980
 • 18-game streak to begin 1977
 • 23-game streak bridging national title run in 1978 and start of 1979
 • 26-game streak to begin 1978

The 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. 

A KILLER STRETCH
The Aggies posted hitting percentages of .300 or higher in three-straight matches against Colorado State, Fresno State and Boise State, a feat the team also achieved last season. USU began the stretch with a then-season high .462 hitting percentage against the Rams before immediatley topping it with a program-record mark of .567 against Fresno State. Tthe Aggies hit .336 in a 3-1 win at Boise State. 

DIFFICULT TERRAIN
Utah State now ranks 33rd in the RPI rankings. The Aggies are the highest-ranked MW team in RPI, ahead of second-place Colorado State at 64th. USU's strength of schedule is a large reason why as the Aggies' season schedule to this point ranks as the toughest in the Mountain West and 28th-toughest nationally by opponent winning percentage (.616). Grand Canyon holds the second-toughest schedule in the MW to this point with an opponent winning percentage of .579, ranking 61st in the nation.

SMASHING PERFORMANCE
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. USU nearly matched the blistering pace in the opening set at Colorado State, hitting .731 on 20 kills with one error on 26 attempts.

THE WEEKLY ROUNDUP
Utah State has received a league-leading seven weekly awards from the Mountain West this season, with six different players earning a distinction.
 - Sept. 2 – Tierney Barlow - Offensive Player of the Week
 - posted a .385 hitting percentage during the team's season-opening weekend at the Rainbow Wahine Volleyball Classic. 
 - Sept. 22 – Mara Štiglic - Offensive Player of the Week
 - recorded 46 kills on a .312 hitting percentage against Utah Valley, BYU and Weber State.
 - Sept. 29 – Lauren Larkin - Freshman of the Week
 - led USU with eight total blocks during a pair of sweeps at New Mexico and Grand Canyon
 - Oct. 6 – Kaylie Kofe - Offensive Player of the Week
 - totaled 120 assists across a pair of five-set wins over San Jose State and Boise State, including a career-high and MW-leading 62 assists
 - Oct. 13 – Kendel Thompson - Defensive Player of the Week
 - recording 34 digs in USU's wins at Wyoming and Colorado State, averaging 4.86 digs per set
 - Oct. 27 – Loryn Helgesen - Offensive Player of the Week
 - averaged 4.56 kills per set, totalling a team-high 41, in a pair of home wins over San Diego State and UNLV
- Nov. 3 – Mara Štiglic - Offensive Player of the Week
- hit .400 with 29 total kills to lead USU to road wins at San Diego State and UNLV

RECORD WATCH
Utah State has several single-season program records in its sights. The Aggies are currently hitting .256 as a team, which would break the current record of .238 set by the 2016 squad. Senior middle blocker Tierney Barlow is also hitting .399 hitting percentage, which would break the current record of .375 (min. 5 attempts per set) held by Denae Mohlman and set in 1997. 

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.

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. 

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.

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.

In her first extended action of the seaosn, freshman middle blocker Ava Martin recorded 10 blocks in the team's 3-2 home win against San Diego State, tied for the most by an Aggie freshman since Hannah Smith had 13 blocks against Fresno State in 2014.

ISLAND LIVING
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. 

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.

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. 

BEEN HERE BEFORE
Utah State lost 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.

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). 

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. 

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
The Aggies head to the road for their final road matches of the regular season, taking on Fresno State on Thursday, Nov. 13, at 7 p.m. (MT), before facing San José State on Saturday, Nov. 15, at 1 p.m. (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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