LOGAN, Utah – Utah State volleyball lost a tightly contested match to Boise State 3-1 (27-25, 25-18, 26-28, 25-21) on Thursday night at the Wayne Estes Center.

Set One
USU fell into an early hole as the Broncos began the match with a 12-4 run. The Aggies slowly ate away at the lead, first using a 5-1 run to climb back within reach before later using a 7-0 burst to fully erase the lead. Graduate middle blocker Sophie Scott added a pair of kill and sophomore libero/defensive specialist Lily LaFlesch added an ace to help turn the tide. Junior middle blocker Ava Napierski added two blocks during the run, once alongside junior outside hitters Olivia Ruy and Sami Blackett as Utah State tied the set at 17 all. The Aggies managed to take the lead following a Blackett kill before BSU responded with four-straight points. USU again climbed out of a hole with a 3-0 run anchored by a kill from sophomore outside hitter Addy Cook. After another Cook kill fended off the first set point from Boise State, back-to-back Bronco points earned the visitors a 27-25 opening-set victory. 

Set Two
Neither side built a multi-point lead early in the second set until the Aggies pieced together three-straight points, part of a 9-3 stretch to take control of the frame. Napierski posted a kill and an ace on back-to-back rallies but another three-straight BSU points pushed the lead to its largest extent at seven points. Utah State earned three-straight sideouts to close out the set but were unable to string a run together from the service line as Boise State took a 2-0 lead with a 25-18 win.

Set Three
Boise State again jumped out in front in set three, using a 3-0 burst near the midway point to take a 12-8 lead. The Aggies responded with a pair of 3-0 runs of their own with junior outside hitters Ava Nakai and Justyna Novakova supplying a kill and ace, respectively, to power the first while a pair of Blackett kills surrounded a Ruy kill during the second to bring USU level at 14-14. BSU responded with another three unanswered points en route to build a 22-17 lead. Facing a possible sweep, Utah State rallied with an 8-2 stretch to jump ahead. Ruy posted three kills while junior middle blocker Solia Angilau posted blocks alongside both Ruy and Blackett as USU earned a 25-24 lead. After back-to-back points from BSU, Ruy staved off match point with a kill before Blackett and Napierski posted kills to secure a 28-26 win and send the match to a fourth set.

Set Four
Another Bronco run put the Aggies in a hole early in the fourth set with BSU taking a 12-8 lead following a 5-0 run. The Aggies battled back with 7-2 stretch featuring an Angilau ace plus three kills from Blackett before twice taking the lead following kills from senior setter Olivia Tukuafu. After Nakai again put USU ahead by one at 20-19, Boise State went on a 6-1 run to close out the set for a 25-21 victory.

Quick Notes

• Ruy finished with a team-high 20 kills, becoming the first Aggie to record 20 or more kills in back-to-back matches since Tatum Stall in 2022. Ruy tied her season-high with a .385 hitting percentage and added three blocks.
• Blackett added 16 kills on a team-high .395 hitting percentage and recorded her fifth double-double of the season with 10 digs alongside three blocks.
• Nakai added nine kills on a .360 hitting percentage while recording zero attack errors on 25 attempts. 
• Tukuafu recorded her third-consecutive double-double, finishing with 45 assists plus a career-high 16 digs and three blocks.
• Sophomore defensive specialist Sadie Warren added 12 digs, her second double-digit dig outing this season, and set a new career-high with three assists.
• LaFlesch finished with seven digs and eight assists, one off her career-high, and added an ace. Novakova also came near double-digit digs, finishing with nine and also adding an ace.
• Returning from injury, Napierski posted six kills, three digs and an ace while leading the team with five blocks. 
• Up Next

The Aggies (3-12, 2-3 Pac-12) heads into the first of two conference byes this weekend before returning on the road at San Diego State on Thursday, Oct. 15, at 7 p.m. (MT).

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.

 - USU -