Aggie volleyball avoids being ‘vandal’ized
It wasn’t pretty, but the Utah State University women’s volleyball team did what all good teams do – win on the road – as the Aggies outlasted the University of Idaho 3-2 (25-30, 27-30, 31-29, 30-19, 15-6) on Friday night in Moscow, Idaho.
With the victory, USU (11-4, 7-1 in the Big West Conference) notched its seventh straight win and most likely propelled itself into the top 25 for the first time this season.
“I thought they [Idaho] were very well-prepared for the match and are a well-coached team,” USU coach Burt Fuller said. “We are very fortunate to steal this one on the road.”
After hitting a season-high .396 against BYU, the Aggies struggled against the Vandals (7-10, 2-6 in league play) early on, hitting an abysmal -.047 in the first game and .052 in the second game. USU had more attack errors (11) than kills (9) in the first game.
Despite their struggles on the offensive side of the ball, the Aggies hung close with Idaho in the first two games before losing 30-25 and 30-27.
“We weren’t hitting the ball like we have been,” Fuller said. “It was a combination of good defense on their part and us coming out flat.”
Game three was also a defensive battle, with the Vandals close to sweeping the Aggies for the second straight time at home. Fortunately for the Aggies, they were able to score two straight points with the score tied at 29-29 to close out the game.
Winning the third game gave the Aggies the momentum they would need as they controlled the match in the fourth and fifth games. The Aggies hit a whopping .341 and .381 in games four and five, while limiting the Vandals to a combined hitting percentage of .102 on the night.
When asked how USU was able to turn the match around, Fuller said harder hitting by the Aggies and an increased level of energy propelled them to victory. Idaho’s lack of experience might have been a factor as well, he said.
“I think their lack of experience may have hurt them in the third and fourth games,” he said.
Freshman setter Andrea Delsigne and junior college transfer Rickie Rigby came off the bench and gave the team a spark, Fuller said.
“I don’t remember doing anything different [offensively], we just tried to find the right combinations on the floor,” he said.
Both USU and Idaho made its presence felt defensively, with the teams combining for 166 digs and 34 team blocks.
Vandal outside hitter Brooke Haeberle was a force on the defensive end with 21 digs. Haeberle also finished second on the team with 14 kills, only to offset that with 15 attack errors. Megan Ogden led the Vandals with a match-high 11 block assists.
For the Aggies, Michelle Matheson, Shauni Fluckiger and Erin Cartwright finished with 15, 13 and 12 kills, respectively. Like the Vandals, the Aggies enjoyed good defensive balance with five players finishing the match with double figures in digs.
The Aggies will continue their five-game road trip on Tuesday against the No. 19 ranked University of Utah Utes. Tuesday’s match will begin at 7 p.m. in the Huntsman Center.