LOGAN, Utah – Utah State head volleyball had three players named to the Pac-12 Preseason Impact List, it was announced on Tuesday. Juniors Sami Blackett, Ava Napierski and Olivia Ruy each earned a spot on the list.

Blackett, a 6-1 outside hitter from Orem, Utah, comes to Utah State after spending her first two seasons at Utah Valley, earning back-to-back First Team All-WAC honors for the Wolverines. At UVU, Blackett amassed 771 kills plus 131 blocks, 461 digs, 56 assists and 67 aces while leading the team to back-to-back postseason appearances, earning an NIVC invite in 2024 before winning the 2025 WAC Tournament to reach the program's third-ever NCAA Tournament appearance. In 2024, Blackett posted 467 kills plus 228 digs, 74 blocks and 41 aces, earning WAC Co-Freshman of the Year honors. She eclipsed 15 kills in 14 matches during her freshman year, including a school-record 33 kills against Cal Baptist, also setting a career-high with seven blocks. Blackett recorded seven double-doubles on the year, including a 27-kill, 12-dig outing against Utah Tech. In 2025, Blackett reached double-digit kills in 17 matches, reaching a season-high 21 kills in back-to-back matches against Weber State and BYU. Blackett added another four double-doubles during the season, including 12 kills with a career-high 18 digs against Utah Tech in the WAC Tournament championship match.  

Napierski, a 6-foot-1 middle blocker from Provo, Utah, started the first five matches of the 2025 season before being sidelined due to injury. She totaled 20 blocks during that span, including a career-high nine blocks against Marquette alongside a season-high seven kills. As a freshman in 2024, Napierski played in 11 matches, starting five, and finished the year with 31 kills and 27 blocks, also being named to the Academic All-Mountain West Team. She set a career high with eight kills alongside a season-high six blocks against Weber State.

Ruy, a 6-foot-2 outside hitter originally from Salt Lake City, Utah, spent the past season at Maryland, making 10 starts and appearing in 24 matches and 63 total sets. Ruy totaled 126.5 points last season, averaging 2.01 per set, and recorded 112 kills, 71 digs, 20 blocks and three aces. She posted a season-high 16 kills against Davidson, also clearing double-digits with 12 kills against Iowa. Ruy posted a season-high 13 digs against Coastal Carolina, narrowly missing a double-double with nine kills. Prior to Maryland, Ruy spent two years at Arkansas, redshirting in 2023 before making 24 starts and appearing in 25 games in 2024. As a redshirt freshman, Ruy ranked third on the team in total kills (221), kills per set (2.81) and service aces (13), also totaling 123 digs and 25 blocks. She recorded 11 double-digit kill matches and posted three double-doubles during SEC play, doing so with 11 kills and 10 digs against Florida, 12 kills and 11 digs at Ole Miss, 16 kills and a season-high 14 digs against Oklahoma. She earned SEC Co-Freshman of the Week honors on Nov. 11 after posting a career high 17 kills and .452 hitting percentage in the Razorbacks' sweep of South Carolina.

Utah State was picked to finish sixth out of nine teams in the preseason poll as voted by the leagues coaches. Colorado State was tabbed as the preseason favorite followed by Oregon State, Texas State, Boise State and Washington State. The Aggies were picked ahead of San Diego State, Gonzaga and Fresno State.

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