Shelby Capllonch leads Aggie Volleyball in comeback over UVU

LOGAN — Utah State Volleyball defeated in-state foe Utah Valley 3-2 in a five-set thriller on Tuesday. The Aggies improved to 7-2 on the year.

The Aggies, coming off of four consecutive victories, including three sweeps, fell behind early in the first set 1-7. Down by as much as six points twice in the set, they came back and won the first set 26-24.

However, the Wolverines were not phased. They came back in loud fashion winning the second set 25-15 and the third set 25-16.

“I told them that they controlled the match. It was time for us to buckle up and our hitters made adjustments,” head coach Rob Neilson said. “That was the difference to get back into the match.”

The Aggies responded in the fourth set winning 25-18 which forced a fifth set.

Despite the match going nearly three hours, the crowd was in it until the end.

“They bring so much energy to our team, that was the shift in the fourth set,” outside hitter Shelby Capllonch said. “They picked us up, that was all the fans.”

The Estes Center was sold out with every seat filled. The Aggies, already down 1-2, needed help from the fans in the fifth set. 

They delivered. 

“They are amazing. They were so great for us,” Neilson said. “I have never felt that type of energy in the Estes. I hope the fans had a great time because it was rocking.”

The fifth set started out strong for the Aggies and they quickly took a 4-2 lead. After the switch of sides halfway through the set, the Aggies were up 9-6.

Quickly, the Aggies had a match point at 14-10, but the Wolverines made things interesting.

Utah Valley went on a 5-0 run to take the lead 15-14 with a serve. They had turned the tables on the Aggies and the sold-out crowd.

USU was able to tie it up at 15, but yet again, the Wolverines took the lead for another match point.

But back-to-back kills by Capllonch gave the Aggies the lead and momentum to win the fifth set 18-16. 

“We see stats and what she has done hitting, but she passed most of the game. She serves great, defends great, and is a scrappy volleyball player,” Neilson said on the UNLV transfer.

Capllonch ended the game with 14 kills, tied for the team-high with Tatum Stall, and a .219 hitting percentage.

The victory was the Aggies’ fifth in a row and improved their record to 7-2. 

Beyond the reward of in-state victory, the win was extra sweet for some Aggies with personal connections.

For Utah Valley, outside hitter Tori Dorius, the sister of Utah State men’s basketball center Trevin Dorius, was flawless. She had 22 kills with a .415 percent hitting percentage. 

Kennedi Boyd, who also shined in the match with 12 kills, beat her former high school teammate, Makayla Broadbent, a Wolverine senior and fellow Lone Peak alumni.

The Aggies take on two more in-state opponents this week. First with Utah in Salt Lake City on Friday and then they will look to avenge the football team this weekend at Weber State on Saturday.

Featured image by Sam Warner.