LOGAN, Utah – Utah State volleyball received career-best performances from numerous players in a spirited effort against Pac-12 preseason favorite and current league leader Colorado State but ultimately fell in five sets on Saturday afternoon at the Wayne Estes Center. USU finished with 94 digs as a team, the second-most by the program during the 25-point, rally-scoring era (since 2008), trailing only USU's mark of 98 digs against Idaho in 2012.
Sophomore libero/defensive specialist
Lily LaFlesch led the effort with a career-high 29 digs, tying for the sixth-most digs by an Aggie during the 25-point, rally-scoring era. Junior outside hitter
Olivia Ruy finished with a career-high 25 kills, also tying for the ninth-most kills by an Aggie during the 25-point, rally-scoring era. Senior setter
Olivia Tukuafu narrowly missed the first triple-double for USU since 2007, finishing with 53 assists, 15 digs and nine kills, all career-high marks.
Set One
The Rams, tabbed to win the Pac-12 in the preseason coaches poll, were the first to pull ahead in the opening frame, using a 6-2 stretch to take a 14-9 lead. The Aggies then foreshadowed the battle the match would become as Ruy powered a 4-0 run with a kill and solo block, also parenting with junior middle blocker
Solia Angilau on another block to pull the Aggies back into the contest. Angilau later added an ace during a 3-0 burst but CSU managed to retain the lead until the Aggies blitzed the visitors with a 5-0 stretch late in the frame. Junior outside hitter
Ava Nakai kicked off the run with a kill before Ruy and graduate middle blocker
Sophie Scott combined for a block to force a Rams timeout. Scott continued to prowl the middle, combining for back-to-back blocks alongside junior outside hitter
Sami Blackett then Ruy to put USU at set point. The Rams battled back to two points to tie the set at 24 all before Ruy put Utah State back ahead with a kill, setting up LaFlesch to clinch the 26-24 win with an ace.
Set Two
USU retained momentum to begin set two with two streaks of three-consecutive points both anchored by Blackett kills. CSU wrestled back control with a 7-1 stretch, but Utah State answered back with a 6-1 run of their own as Ruy, Scott and Blackett each posted kills. The Rams again leapt out front with four unanswered points. The Aggies fought back within a point at multiple stages following kills from Blackett, Nakai and Tukuaf, but USU was unable to fully overcome the deficit as Colorado State tied the match with a 25-23 win.
Set Three
The Aggies again started strong as Tukuafu and Angilau combined on a block with Angilau also supplying a kill as part of a 4-0 run to take an initial lead in the third frame. CSU responded with an 10-2 stretch looking to establish firm control over the match. Utah State again refused to surrender, climbing back into the lead with a 6-1 stretch featuring aces from Tukuafu and junior outside hitter
Justyna Novakova. Ruy anchored another 3-0 spurt from the Aggies with a pair of kills to maintain pace with the Rams until CSU closed the out the set on a 5-1 run to go up 2-1 in the match with a 25-22 win.
Set Four
Needing a win to extend the match, Utah State again started early as Ruy powered a 4-0 burst with three kills. Following a pair of Rams points, Ruy, Tukuafu and Blackett each posted kills to extend the lead to five and force a CSU timeout. The Aggies led by as many as seven after kills from Nakai and Ruy until Colorado State clawed back into reach with a 5-1 stretch. Utah State's defense forced a pair of attacking errors from the Rams to regain momentum before a block from Nakai and Angilau firmly returned control of the set to USU. The Aggies closed the frame on a 5-1 run with Scott and Ruy recording the final points on kills to take a 25-17 win and push the match to a fifth set.
Set Five
Colorado State opened the final set on a 6-2 run but Utah State battled back to tie the frame at 6-6 with four-straight points, including three kills from Blackett. The Aggies earned another pair of ties, including after a kill from Tukuafu at 9-9, but CSU rebuilt its lead with three-straight points before closing out the match with each team earning three sideouts in a row to post a 15-12 win.
Quick Notes
- LaFlesch's 29 digs are the most by an Aggie since Abby Peterson also registered 29 digs against Fresno State in February of 2021. LaFlesch also added six assists in the match.
- Ruy's 25 kills are a season-high among the team this year. She also tied her career-high with six blocks.
- Alongside her near triple-double, Tukuafu added two blocks and an ace.
- Blackett finished with 13 kills, recording her fourth double-double of the season with 10 digs while adding two blocks and three assists.
- Nakai added 10 kills plus two digs and a block.
- Sophomore defensive specialist Sadie Warren set a new career-high with 15 digs while Novakova tied her career-high with 13 digs. Each also added an ace in the match.
- In her second start for USU, Angilau posted seven kills five digs, three blocks and an ace.
- Scott tied for the team lead alongside Ruy with six blocks apiece.
- Alongside its 94 digs, Utah State posted season-highs as a team with 67 kills and 65 assists.
- The Aggies held the Rams to a .112 hitting percentage, their second-lowest mark of the season behind only a .107 mark against No. 24 Colorado.
Up Next
The Aggies (3-11, 2-2 Pac-12) closes out a four-match home stand against Boise State on Thursday, Oct. 8, at 7 p.m., at the Wayne Estes Center.
Tickets
Season and single-game tickets are on sale now and can be purchased through
the USU online ticket office.
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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