BACK IN ACTION
Utah State opens its conference home slate with a pair of matches at the Wayne Estes Center. The Aggies will play host to San Jose State on Wednesday, Oct. 1, at 6 p.m. (MT), before facing Boise State on Saturday, Oct. 4, at 1 p.m. (MT).
 
FOLLOW ALONG
All Aggie matches during conference play will stream on the Mountain West Network with live stats available through UtahStateAggies.com.
 
SMASHING PERFORMANCE
Opposite side hitter Loryn Helgesen rewrote the record books last week 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 performnace 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. 
 
AGGIES VS. EVERYONE
Utah State leads the all-time series against San José State, 28-24-1, including a 17-7 advantage in Logan. Following a 1-1 tie in the first meeting in 1979, SJSU won 13 of the next 14 matches. USU has won 27 out of the past 38 meetings since the two became conference foes in the WAC in 2005. The Aggies have won 11 of the past 12 meetings in Logan, including each of the past five. Utah State defeated the Spartans, 3-1, in the championship match of the Mountain West Tournament in 2022.
 
The Aggies and Broncos will meet for the 56th time this weekend as the Broncos lead the all-time series, 30-25. Boise State won the first 15 meetings in the series before USU claimed 13 of the next 14 matchups. Since the two sides reunited as conference opponents in the Mountain West in 2013, USU is 11-13 against BSU. Utah State had won six consecutive matches over the Broncos before falling to Boise State in the opening round of the MW Tournament last season. The Aggies are 15-7 all-time against BSU in Logan and have won each of the past three meetings at home.
 
BLESS MY SOUL, AGS ARE ON A ROLL
Utah State has swept three-straight matches, 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. The Aggies last recorded four-straight sweeps in 2003 with the program record standing at 10-straight sweeps, set in 1979. USU's longest sweep-streak since 1980 is five matches, done three times during the 1999 and 2000 seasons.
 
Over the team's current streak, the Aggies are hitting .310 while holding their opponents to a .119 hitting percentage. Utah State held Weber State to a .080 hitting percentage, the lowest opponent hitting percentage against the Aggies since USU held Nevada to a .065 hitting percentage on Nov. 18, 2023.
 
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.
 
CLIMBING THE MOUNTAIN
Utah State is at the top of the Mountain West in several categories in conference play. The Aggies currently lead the league in hitting percentage (.333), assists per set (15.7) and kills per set (17.5). USU also ranks second in hitting percentage allowed (.136) and digs per set (16.8) and is third in service aces per set (1.5).
 
Helgesen currently leads the MW during conference play with 4.83 kills and 5.75 points per set while setter Kaylie Kofe sits atop the conference with 13.33 assists per set. Outside hitter Mara Štiglic also ranks fifth in both kills (3.83) and points per set (4.58). Outside hitter Andrea Simovski also ranks ninth in the league with 3.75 points per set, making USU the only team in the conference with three players ranking in the top 10 for points per set. Štiglic and Helgesen are also tied for fifth with 0.5 aces per set apiece. Libero/defensive specialist Kendel Thompson ranks second in the league with 4.33 digs per set. Middle blockers Lauren Larkin and Tierney Barlow sit at second (.500) and sixth (.421), respectively, in hitting percentage, while Larkin sits at ninth with 1.33 blocks per set. 
 
On the full year, Kofe ranks second in the MW with 10.07 assists per set, while Barlow ranks second with a .388 hitting percentage. Štiglic ranks sixth in the league with 3.37 kills per set and fifth with 3.86 points per set. Simovski ranks sixth in the conference with 0.37 aces per set while Thompson sits in 10th with 3.12 digs per set.
 
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.
 
ACED IT
Simovski recorded four aces against Weber State, all coming in the opening set, the most by an Aggie this season and tied for the seventh-most of any MW player this season. Simovski also led USU in aces last season and recorded a career-high five against Ohio. 
 
PEAK RECOGNITIONS
Redshirt freshman Lauren Larkin was named the Mountain West Freshman of the Week after leading USU with eight total blocks during a pair of sweeps at New Mexico and Grand Canyon last week. Larkin averaged 1.33 blocks per set across the two matches and recorded 10 kills on a .500 hitting percentage. She set career-highs with seven kills and a .700 hitting percentage against UNM, also adding two blocks. Against the Lopes, Larkin led the Aggies with six blocks, including four during the second set alone, and also added three kills and a dig.
 
Štiglic and Barlow have also earned weekly honors from the Mountain West this season, both previously being named Offensive Player of the Week. Štiglic earned the award after posting 46 kills on a .312 hitting percentage against Utah Valley, BYU and Weber State. Barlow was given the award after posting a .385 hitting percentage during the team's season-opening weekend at the Rainbow Wahine Volleyball Classic. 
 
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. 
 
ASSISTANCE REQUIRED
Kofe's 44 assists against Hawaii set a new career-high for a three-set match and are the most by a MW player this season and tied for the seventh-most nationally for a three-set match. Earlier this season, Kofe tied her career-high with 57 assists against Marquette, also ranking as the second-most assists by an MW player this season. 
 
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.
 
A PRECIOUS WIN ON THE ISLAND
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.
 
WELL TRAVELED
Utah State boasts 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). 
 
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. 
 
HITTER'S PARADISE
Utah State hit an even .500 at home last season against Nevada, finishing with 40 kills and only five attack errors on 70 attempts. It was USU's first time hitting at least .500 since setting the program record of .550 against VCU in 1997. The Aggies' five attack errors were also the fewest by the team since that same match. It was also USU's third consecutive match hitting over .300, tying for their longest such streak since joining the Mountain West in 2013, previously doing so in 2023 and spanning the 2016 and 2017 seasons.
 
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. 
 
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.
 
BEEN HERE BEFORE
Utah State loses 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.
 
STALWART IN THE MIDDLE
Barlow was the only Aggie last season to start all 29 matches on the season. Barlow was named to the all-MW Team last year, her third career all-MW honor after receiving two such honors at Wyoming before transferring to Utah State. Barlow led the team last year and ranked third in the Mountain West with a .383 hitting percentage while recording 220 kills, averaging 1.85 per set. Barlow also tied for the team lead with 101.0 total blocks and ranked second with 0.85 blocks per set and fourth with 26 service aces.
 
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
Utah State heads eastward to take on Wyoming on Thursday, Oct. 9, at 7 p.m. (MT), before facing Colorado State on Saturday, Oct. 11, 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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