Ags pick up win

Red-shirt sophomore Beth Hodge led the Utah State women’s basketball team to a four-game win over Utah Valley State College Monday night in Orem.

Hodge led the way for the Aggies with 19 kills to lift the Aggies up over the Wolverines.

In the first game, UVSC was able to jump out to an early lead and hold it for most of the game. In the final minutes of the game, Utah State tied the game at 30, then took its first lead going up 31-30.

The Aggies were able to hold out and get the final point to win the game 32-30.

“Our team unfortunately came out very flat,” USU Head Coach Burt Fuller said. “We were behind and had a nice comeback in the first game to catch them and get that win. [But] after the first game, I think UVSC had a lot of confidence.”

In the second game, Fuller said it was just an extension of the first. UVSC built up a lot of confidence and held it throughout the game, he said.

Both teams traded points for most of the game, but the Wolverines were able to get the 30-26 win.

“UVSC played really well and was very inspired,” Fuller said.

In the third game, Fuller said the Ags played better. Although he said the team wasn’t very consistent throughout the match, he said they won the third game relatively easily.

In the fourth game, the Ags were up 26-20 and ready for the match point, but UVSC surged back.

“We’re up by a few points in the match,” Fuller said, “and we let them get back into the match. We have to do a better job of putting teams away when we’re ahead. I think that’s something our team realizes.”

The Aggies were able to hold on, however, and picked up a 30-28 win.

Aside from Hodge, three other Utah State players finished the match with double-digit kills.

Senior Erin Graybill had 13 kills to go along with a career-high 11 blocks for the night. Ingrid Roth and Zuzana Cernianska put up 11 and 10 kills repsectively.

For UVSC, Camie Manwell and Anne Olsen led the way. Manwell had 19 kills while Olsen put up 14 kills.

Once again, the Aggies outblocked their opponent, stopping 17.5 team blocks to the Wolverines’ 10.

Fuller said that although blocking is something the Ags have been working on in practice, a lot of the strength in the middle comes from the fact that USU has two senior middle blockers.

The Ags stay on the road this week, traveling to Nevada Saturday.

-aedmunds@cc.usu.edu