Nevada blows out Ags
The USU women’s volleyball team held tough for two games, but were drowned out in the third Wednesday night in Reno, Nev.
The Nevada Wolf Pack (10-6, 4-0 in WAC play) maintained their perfect league record with a 3-0 win (30-25, 30-23, 30-16) over the Aggies.
It was the eighth-consecutive victory for the Wolf Pack (and one which took less than 90 minutes) over USU in Reno. The Aggies (10-9, 3-2) are now 1-10 all time against at the Wolf Pack’s home.
Junior outside hitter Amanda Nielson led the Aggies with 19 kills. Freshman Hailey Jeppson added 10 kills and nine digs.
The Wolf Pack were on fire in Games 2 and 3.
While the Aggies were held to a .093 attacking percentage in the match (including a negative .030 percentage in the final game of the match), the Wolf Pack hit .359 in the match, which included a .412 percentage in Game 2 and a .407 percentage in Game 3.
But that isn’t the end of the statistical domination.
The Wolf Pack also recorded 7.5 more team blocks (12-4.5) and five more digs than the Aggies
Nevada was led by Teal Ericson and Karly Sipherd.
Each recorded 12 kills. Allison Hernandez tallied a match-high 12 digs.
The slope of the Aggies’ up-hill road climb only gets steeper tonight.
The 15-ranked Hawaii Rainbow Wahine await the Aggies tonight at 10 p.m.
The Rainbow Wahine are 9-4 and, with a 3-0 WAC mark, are tied with the Wolf Pack for first place in the conference.
Last week the Rainbow Wahine defeated both the San Jose State Spartans and the Fresno State Bulldogs in three games.
For more reasons than one, Aggie outside hitter Beth Hodge (a junior) is hoping the Aggies are able to fly back to the mainland with a victory.
Hodge, who per game is averaging 3.69 points, 3.30 kills, 2.17 digs, and .58 blocks, will celebrate her 22nd birthday Friday.
Just how good is the Rainbow Wahine?
They have won 110-straight league matches, which dates back to the 1998 season. The Aggies are 7-31 all-time against Hawai’i, which includes a 2-15 mark in Honolulu, and have lost 17-straight matches against Hawai’i.
“They are the gold-medal standard in our conference,” Aggie Head Coach Grayson DuBose said.
Nov. 12, 1981, was the last time USU came out on top against Hawai’i, and even then, it took five games to capture the victory.
Rainbow Wahine sophomore Jamie Houston has a .224 attacking percentage on the season, averaging 5.30 kills and 2.36 digs per game.
Their team is hitting .255 on the year, holding opponents to a .211 percentage.
The Aggies, who are currently fourth place in the WAC, are hitting .163 in games this season, holding opponents to a .174 percentage.
-sbhislop@cc.usu.edu