USU Volleyball wins third straight with sweep of Oregon State

Utah State’s women’s volleyball team beat Oregon State in a three-set sweep on Friday night, its third straight win. 

Coming off a big win against Texas State earlier in the week, the victory on Friday was the push they needed leading into their last four conference games.  

The Aggies now have a 5-7 record in the Pac-12, rising one game ahead of Washington State.  

According to head coach Keith Smith, Oregon State is the best team the Aggies have beaten this year.  

“They’re going to be in the Pac-12 tournament,” Smith said. “They’ll be one of the top three seeds, and to beat them in three is really, really difficult.”  

Smith said playing at the Wayne Estes Center with the Hurd and the support system they have had this season is a contributing factor to the team’s success. 

“We talked about in the team room how lucky we are for the fan base here in Cache Valley, and we’re just grateful to have them,” Smith said.  

Smith explained the difficulty that road games hold, and that although Washington State, Gonzaga, and Fresno are teams they beat at home, obtaining that victory again will be difficult.  

“We’re at the point where we’ve got to probably go close to undefeated the rest of the season to give ourselves a chance at the postseason,” Smith said.  

Smith believes that if the Aggies can keep this momentum the rest of the season, they will be in good standing for the Pac-12 Championship. 

“If we can make the final four and can be in the tournament, we have just as good a chance as anyone to win it,” Smith said.  

Smith remains solid with the team’s motto and perspective going into the last four games of the season.  

“We have no choice but to win,” Smith said. “We want to play in the postseason, and we got to win every game to do that.”  

Smith says that going into the Washington State game, the team should feel confident in their play and in each other.  

“I think we’re good enough; I just think we’re playing as high a level of any team in the conference right now,” Smith said. “We should be feeling confident going to Washington State and that we can go away and walk away with a win.” 

Silina Damuni, a sophomore setter for the Aggies and team leader in assists, says Friday night was all about having fun. 

“That was probably one of the funnest games of my life,” Damuni said. “Just being able to do it with the group that I’m with and the coach that I have, it’s just even more fun.”  

Damuni emphasized the importance of trust throughout the game, but especially during set two.  

“I think the one thing that was going through my head was to just trust the process, trust my team, trust myself, and trust the work that we put in throughout the week was going to just come through when we needed it the most,” Dumuni said. 

Damuni said that the progress the team has made throughout the season is recognizable, and that they are ready for what’s to come.  

“We obviously didn’t have the start we wanted at the beginning of the season, but we knew that didn’t define who we were,” Damuni said. “We knew that we were amazing volleyball players, and we had a great culture, and that we were prepared for these next games in November.”  

USU’s women’s volleyball team heads on the road Thursday, Nov. 12, where they will face Washington State.