Aggie Volleyball Loses at Home to San Jose State

The San Jose State Spartans exacted revenge in the Wayne Estes Center on Thursday night, beating USU in four sets and evening up their season series against the Aggies after an at-home loss to Utah State last month. The match dropped Utah State to 4-18 on the season and 2-9 in conference play.

After an encouraging beginning to the first set which saw USU leading SJSU 8-6, the Spartans went on a run and maintained their lead the rest of the way, the set ending with a San Jose State win 25-22. The Spartans tallied 10 more kills than the Aggies in the game and committed one fewer error.

The second set was a back-and-forth affair with USU opening up an early lead only to surrender the advantage late in the set, and the Spartans secured another victory. USU displayed heart throughout the game, however, and the home team led SJSU through three different stretches.

James Bates

Coach Grayson Dubose was not impressed, saying, “You have chances in game two … you can’t give up leads like that.”

The increased competitiveness of the match was evident in the box score: San Jose State recorded 15 kills to Utah State’s 14, and five errors to USU’s four.

The third set saw the Aggies win their only set of the match, tying the Spartans at 13 apiece in the middle of the set and going on to win the game 25 – 21.

The last set was the least competitive of the four. At one point San Jose State led the Aggies 22-13 and ended up winning the set 25-20.

A mitigating factor in the USU loss was an illness which kept usual starter Gabbi Shumway sidelined. Coach Dubose said, “We had to change the lineup around a little bit from the last few matches because of an illness. That’s how breaks go– always throws you off, change throws you off.”

James Bates

Senior setter Kassidy Johnson had another good match, tallying her 11th double double of the season with 31 assists and 16 digs. Of the match she said, “I think we could have competed a little more. Our main goal is just to defend our home court.”

The Aggies will get another chance to do just that this Saturday night as the play the Nevada Wolfpack at 7:30 in the Wayne Estes Center.