PHOENIX, Arizona – Utah State volleyball sophomore opposite side hitter Loryn Helgesen set a program record for hitting percentage on 20-plus attempts as the Aggies swept Grand Canyon, 3-0 (25-15, 25-16, 25-18) on Saturday afternoon at Global Credit Union Arena. 
 
Helgesen hit .704 for the match, recording 20 kills with only one error on 27 attempts to become the first Aggie to hit over .700 on at least 20 attempts. Helgesen broke the mark of .682 held by Denae Mohlman (vs North Texas, Nov. 8, 1997) and Michelle Matheson (vs Weber State, Nov. 6, 2001). Helgesen's .704 hitting percentage is also the fifth-best mark ever for a conference match in Mountain West history and the best ever by a non-senior.
 
Head coach Rob Neilson
"After a flight cancellation yesterday and flying early this morning from Albuquerque, I was intrigued to see how our team responded to a tough situation. They showed how tough they are mentally, physically and how they fight through adversity. So proud of our whole group, and of course pretty special to see an historic performance from Loryn Helgesen. We're getting better!"
 
Set One
The Aggies hit .741 in the opening set and did not register a single hitting error. Utah State spread it around as the quintet of Helgesen, senior middle blocker Tierney Barlow, sophomore outside hitters Andrea Simovski and Mara Štiglic, and redshirt freshman middle blocker Lauren Larkin each recorded multiple kills in the opening set. Helgesen led the way, converting all six of her attempts for kills. The pivotal point came after Grand Canyon had cut USU's lead to 11-10 when the Aggies responded with a 4-0 featuring a pair of Helgesen kills and an ace from junior libero/defensive specialist Kendel Thompson. USU held the Lopes at bay for the remainder of the set, ultimately closing out the set on a 4-0 run to seal the 25-15 win.
 
Set Two
Utah State continued in dominant fashion to open set two. Helgesen and Larkin opened the set with a block before a kill from sophomore setter Kaylie Kofe and an ace from Štiglic gave USU a 4-1 lead. Grand Canyon battled back to tie the set at 8-8 before the Aggies blitzed the home side with an 8-0 burst. Helgesen recorded three kills during the run while Larkin added three blocks, teaming with Helgesen on two and Štiglic on the third. Utah State led by as many as 11 points before coasting to the 25-16 victory.
 
Set Three
GCU scored the first three points of the third set before USU responded with a 5-1 run to jump back in front as a trio of Helgesen kills again jumpstarted the Aggies. After a back-and-forth battle through the next several rallies, Utah State again blitzed the Lopes for a lengthy run, this time scoring 14 of 17 points to take a 20-10 lead. Barlow, Simovski and Štiglic each supplied a pair of kills during the run while Helgesen recorded three, part of a total of eight kills during the third set to eclipse 20 for the match and help the Aggies close out the match with a 25-18 victory.
 
Quick Notes

• Utah State hit a season-high .414 for the match, the team's highest hitting percentage since hitting .500 against Nevada last season.
• Helgesen has now climbed the 20-kill plateau twice this season after also doing so against Marquette earlier this season. Her 20 kills are also the most by a MW player in a three-set match this season and tied for 15th nationally.
• Štiglic also reached double-digit kills, finishing with 11 on a .231 hitting percentage and adding five digs and two blocks.
• Barlow added nine kills on a .562 hitting percentage and did not record a single hitting error on her 16 attempts.
• Thompson led USU with 17 digs, the most digs by an Aggie in a three-set match since Simovski also recorded 17 digs against UNLV last season.
• Kofe finished with 36 assists and added seven digs, one kill and an ace.
• Larkin posted a team-high six blocks, her third time in the last four matches leading the team in blocks.
• The Aggies have now won nine straight sets after consecutive sweeps of Weber State, New Mexico and Grand Canyon.
• Utah State is 2-0 to open Mountain West play for the second time in the past three seasons.

 
Up Next
The Aggies return to Logan for their first home conference matches of 2025. Utah State will host San José State on Wednesday, Oct. 1, at 7 p.m. (MT), before facing Boise State on Saturday, Oct. 4, 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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