Big West Conference recognizes Utah State for accomplishments
With the loss of three first-team all-league players from a year ago, the Utah State University women’s volleyball team needed a boost from several players to achieve the level of success it did last season.
The Aggies were able to do just that as they qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive year.
Monday the Big West Conference recognized USU’s accomplishments with Michelle Matheson and Chelsi Neves earning first-team all-league honors, while teammates Lisa Borom, Heather Olmstead and Erin Cartwright earned a spot on the honorable mention team.
“They might be individual honors, but those are team awards because everyone is involved,” Aggie Head Coach Burt Fuller said.
For Neves, a senior setter from Otto, Wyo., Monday’s announcement marked the second time Neves has received BWC accolades. A second-team selection from a year ago, Neves ranks second in the conference in assists per game with 12.14.
Despite playing only two seasons with the Aggies, the former junior college All-American, has tallied 2,714 assists, putting her in third place on the USU career assists list.
“Chelsi is one of the top two setters in our conference and probably one of the best attacking setters I’ve ever seen as a second-year player at this level,” Fuller said.
Joining Neves on the first team is middle blocker and fellow senior Matheson. Probably the most consistent player on the team, Fuller said, Matheson is ranked eighth in the conference in hitting percentage (.310) and leads the Aggies in blocks per game with 1.35.
Despite being undersized at the middle blocker position – Matheson is 5-foot-11 – and is only a couple blocks behind Tiffany Kitley for the second most blocks in USU history.
“Michelle Matheson is one of the best middle attackers in the Big West Conference at 5-foot-11,” Fuller said. “It’s not like we have two Tayyiba Haneef’s [Long Beach State’s 6-foot-7 outside hitter] on the sides that are taking pressure off her. She’s just done a great job of becoming a very good middle hitter.”
Borom, a Pepperdine University transfer, is 10th in the Big West in kills per game (3.60) and second on the team in digs per game with 2.76.
“[Although] Lisa is a transfer, she has brought a lot of maturity to this team,” Fuller said.
The fourth Aggie senior to earn all-conference honors is Olmstead. The defensive specialist ranks eighth in the league in digs per game (3.06) and is second in USU history with 959 digs.
“Heather’s up there in the conference in digs per game and she’s only playing half the time,” Fuller said.
Cartwright, a sophomore and Hyrum native, has enjoyed a solid first season with the Aggies. An All-American at Salt Lake Community College as a freshman, Cartwright is second on the team in kills per game (3.34) and blocks (95).
“If you look at the first-year players in the conference, she is definitely one of the better ones,” Fuller said.