HONOLULU, Hawaii – Utah State volleyball fought through five sets, including a lengthy fifth frame, but ultimately fell to Marquette, 3-2 (25-14, 23-25, 25-23, 23-25, 20-18), on Sunday evening at Bankoh Arena. 
 
Set One
The Golden Eagles dominated the opening frame, utilizing a 10-2 stretch early in the set to take control. Utah State scored three straight points late in an attempt to crawl back into the match before Marquette clinched the 1-0 lead with a 25-14 win.
 
Set Two
The Aggies immediately answered with a 4-0 burst early in the second set before Marquette answered with a trio of short runs to retake the lead. USU tied it at 12-12 with a 3-0 run, setting up a finish to the set in which neither team led by more than two points. Utah State pieced together a 4-1 run to finish out the set with sophomore opposite side hitter Loryn Helgesen supplying a kill and sophomore setter Kaylie Kofe recording an ace before sophomore middle blocker Ava Napierski finished out the 25-23 win with back-to-back kills.
 
Set Three
Utah State jumped out with the first three points of the third set, later using another 3-0 burst to extend the lead to 10-6. The Golden Eagles responded with a 5-1 stretch to tie the set at 11 before USU answered in kind with their own 5-1 run to again lead by four. Marquette again made a move, this time going on a 7-0 run to jump in front. The Aggies immediately squared the set at 21 all with a 3-0 run but in the late stages of the set, the Golden Eagles managed to pull out the 25-23 win.
 
Set Four
Marquette took the turn of opening up an early four-point lead to begin the fourth set before the Aggies stormed back with a 6-0 blitz to jump in front as Helgesen recorded three kills during the run. After leading by as many as four, the Golden Eagles returned favor with a 5-0 run to retake the lead. After tying the set at 15-15, neither side led by more than a singular point until kills from Helgesen and sophomore outside hitter Andrea Simovski helped piece together a 3-0 run to claim a 25-23 set victory and force a fifth set.
 
Set Five
The final frame proved a back-and-forth affair as the two sides alternated the first 10 points of the set and neither team led by more than one point until a kill from Helgesen and an ace from junior libero/defensive specialist Kendel Thompson put the Aggies up 10-8. Marquette responded with a 6-2 stretch to jump in front and serve for the match at 14-12. Utah State fought multiple match points as sophomore outside hitter Mara Štiglic recorded three straight kills to put USU at match point at 15-14. Both teams fought off match point opportunities to extend the fifth frame as the teams remained tied at 18-18 before Marquette pieced together a pair of points to take the set, 20-18, and the match, 3-2.
 
Quick Notes

• Utah State hit .215 in the match, compiling 67 total kills on 64 assists. Marquette hit .268 with 67 kills and 62 assists. 
• Napierski led the Aggies and set a new career-high with nine total blocks in the match, the most blocks by an individual Aggie in a match since Kelsey Watson recorded nine blocks against Ohio in September of last season.
• Helgesen led the Aggies with a career-high 23 kills on a .286 hitting percentage, also setting a new career-high with four blocks. Barlow added 13 kills on a .444 hitting percentage, her third-straight match with at least 13 kills. Štiglic and Simovski added 11 and 10 kills, respectively.
• Simovski also recorded her first double-double of the season with 14 digs.
• Thompson tied her career-high with 23 total digs, marking her second match this season with 20 or more digs. 
• Kofe led the team with 57 assists, tying her career-high and ranking first among Mountain West players for a single match this season.

 
Up Next
The Aggies return to Cache Valley for the team's home opener, welcoming No. 9 Texas A&M to the Wayne Estes Center on Friday, Sept. 5, at 7 p.m. (MT). Utah State will then host in-state foe No. 23 Utah on Saturday, Sept. 6, at 7 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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