Aggie Volleyball sweeps Aztecs
Utah State Volleyball swept San Diego State 3-0 (25-19, 25-17, 25-10) as part of its three-game homestand on Thursday.
In what seemed like the most put-together performance by the Aggies this season, they improved to 11-5, and 3-2 in conference play putting them in fifth place in the Mountain West standings.
“We executed really well tonight. We wanted to utilize our middles tonight and it showed,” senior opposite side hitter Kylee Stokes said.
In the first set, the Aggies seemed to lead in every statistic and led by as much as six points twice, as they looked to take control early. San Diego State committed four service errors in the set, which helped the Aggies win five straight points, taking a 17-12 lead, and resulting in a 25-19 first set win.
Junior outside hitter Tatum Stall led all players with 12 kills on 22 attacks, which is a hitting percentage of over 40%, her third-highest percentage on the season.
In addition to Stall’s stellar performance, it was an efficient game for Stokes. She had seven kills in only 12 attacks and a 50% hitting percentage, her highest percentage of the year and tied for the highest in her Utah State career.
“We were starting to focus on the little things we have been working on really hard in practice,” Stokes said. “We are finally finding our flow on offense.”
The Aggies hit a team percentage of 35.4% and had 40 combined kills while only committing 11 errors, with four service errors, in the three-set victory.
Head coach Rob Neilson agreed with Stokes that the Aggies are hitting their stride.
“Tonight was about finding our offensive flow,” Neilson said. “It is really great to see our opposites (hitters) get going. It was a good step forward for us.”
In the second set, Utah State quickly jumped out to a 4-0 lead. All four points were from different players. The set started with an excellent save from Shelby Capllonch who set the ball behind her head perfectly for a powerful Tatum Stall kill. Emilee Turner followed up with a kill of her own, and an SDSU error led to a Capllonch ace capping off the quick run. Utah State led by seven points twice in the set and cruised to a 25-17 victory.
“It was so fun to get back to Estes in front of the fans. We loved the energy boost they gave us,” Neilson said.
The recorded attendance for the game was 1,084, and the large crowd has had a huge impact on the Aggies this season according to Stokes.
“Being at Club Estes really helped us tonight,” Stokes said. “The fan environment and having our fans here just helps us.”
In the third set, the Aggies were in it to end it. Leading at 10-2, 16-5, and 22-7, Utah State wanted it done in three sets.
“We trust what we do. We trust we will put pressure on teams in lots of different ways. Over time, we are going to be good. We trust that,” Neilson said.
In addition to Thursday’s sweeping victory, Utah State and San Diego State sported green ribbons in honor of mental health awareness. Neilson emphasized the importance of awareness for college athletes.
“What a grind it is for the athletes. Every mistake you make feels like a bigger deal than it is. It’s so important for our athletes to drown out the noise and find places of peace,” Neilson said. “We really appreciate our sports psychologists who work with our team. They do a great job.”
Utah State will continue its three-game homestand on Saturday at 11 a.m. against Fresno State, who is last in the Mountain West. The Aggies then take on Boise State, who is third in the conference, on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
Featured image by Sam Warner from the Utah Valley game.