OREM, Utah – On the road and in a tight battle near the end of the fourth set, Utah State volleyball stared down the possibility of another road loss.
 
The Aggies did not blink.
 
A myriad of contributors stepped up to push Utah State into a fifth set and across the finish line for a 3-2 (21-25, 25-20, 18-25, 25-22, 15-12) victory over Utah Valley on Tuesday night at the UCCU Center. 
 
Set One
The hosting Wolverines began the match with three-straight points en route to opening up a four-point lead early in set one. As an early indicator of the back-and-forth match to follow, senior middle blocker Tierney Barlow responded immediately with back-to-back kills, eventually bringing Utah State back within one point. The Aggies were unable to fully erase the deficit before UVU again jumped ahead with a 4-0 burst. USU again rebounded, this time with a 6-2 stretch that featured a pair of kills from sophomore setter Kaylie Kofe. Yet again, however, Utah Valley maintained a slim lead and was ultimately able to close out a 25-21 win to go up, 1-0.
 
Set Two
The Aggies returned favor to the Wolverines in the second frame, jumping out to a 6-2 lead at the onset. USU dominated from the service line in the early going with sophomore outside hitter Mara Štiglic opening the set with an ace and junior libero/defensive specialist Kendel Thompson recording a pair of aces to help build the lead. Mirroring the opening set, UVU responded with a 4-1 stretch to reach within a single point but were unable to fully close the gap as Utah State answered back with a 4-0 burst. After another quick Wolverine run trimmed the Aggie advantage to two points, USU broke open the set with a 6-2 stretch that featured a pair of digs-turned-kills from Thompson and Kofe. UVU once again threatened a comeback in the closing stages before sophomore opposite side hitter Loryn Helgesen and Štiglic combined for three kills to ensure a 25-20 win to even the match.
 
Set Three
After a pair of early runs kicked off sets one and two, neither side generated more than a single point of space to begin set three until Utah Valley pieced together a 10-2 stretch to take control. Redshirt freshman Lauren Larkin recorded a pair of blocks, one solo and one alongside Helgesen, as Utah State claimed five out of seven points late in the set in an attempt at a comeback, but the Aggies were unable to challenge for the lead as UVU went up 2-1 with a 25-18 victory in the third set.
 
Set Four 
Again, neither side was able to build a lead through much of the fourth set as a two-point Wolverine lead at 5-3 represented the largest lead of the set through the media timeout. After UVU took the first two points out of the media to jump ahead at 16-15, the Aggies buckled down in a do-or-die situation to force a fifth set. Sophomore outside hitter Andrea Simovski took turns with Štiglic to record four straight kills and force a UVU timeout with USU up, 19-16. After the Wolverines used a 5-1 run to knot things up at 22-22, the Aggie defense forced a pair of attack errors from Utah Valley to reach set point. Štiglic then painted the back line for an ace to close out the 25-22 win and force a fifth frame. 
 
Set Five
In the decisive set, the Aggies recorded five first-serve sideouts out of six chances to begin the fifth set, with a pair of kills from sophomore outside hitter Delaney Lawson setting the tone for USU early. Kills from Barlow, Simovski and redshirt freshman opposite side hitter Sophie Danielson also thwarted any chance of a Wolverine run in the final frame. The Aggies ultimately made the first move with a 3-0 burst that turned a one-point deficit into a 9-7 lead. Štiglic earned the sideout with a kill, setting up a Simovski ace before Lawson recorded her third kill of the set. 
 
After exchanging several rallies, Lawson also recorded a solo block to put Utah State up 12-9 and force a UVU timeout. Following two quick points from the Wolverines, Barlow and Simovski registered kills to put USU at match point. With an opportunity to close out the road win, Larkin and Danielson combined for the clinching block for a 15-12 victory.
 
Quick Notes

• Utah State had three players record double-digit kills for the fourth time this season, and the first since doing so in three-straight matches to open the year. Štiglic led the way with 17 kills, her third-straight match leading the team in kills, while Barlow and Simovski added 13 kills each. Barlow posted a team-high .385 hitting percentage.
• The Aggies hit .378 and .444 as a team in the fourth and fifth sets, respectively. In the fourth frame, USU hit 17 kills with only three errors while in the final frame, Utah State hit 11 kills with only three errors.
• The Aggies' .444 hitting percentage in the fifth set is the team's second-highest hitting percentage in a set this season, trailing only the opening set of the team's 3-0 sweep at Hawai'i (.484). 
• Štiglic also tied for the team-lead alongside Thompson with three service aces apiece. 
• The Aggies had three players finish with double-digit digs for only the third time this season. Kofe finished with a team-high 15 digs, while Thompson and Simovski finished with 12 and 10 digs, respectively.
• Kofe recorded her second double-double of the season, recording a team-high 47 assists alongside her 15 digs.
• Freshmen middle blocker Ava Martin and Sadie Warren made their collegiate debuts in the match. Warren finished with three total digs and did not record an error on four service receptions.

 
Up Next
The Aggies aim to break the state attendance record for a volleyball match, hosting No. 16 BYU on Thursday, Sept. 18, at 7 p.m., in the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum. USU will then conclude its week against Weber State on Saturday, Sept. 20, at noon, in the Wayne Estes Center.
 
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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