Spikers get conference win over Idaho
Idaho-native Amanda Fahnestock helped the Utah State volleyball team to its conference win against the Idaho Vandals, tied for fourth in the Big West Conference, Thursday night 3-1 in the Spectrum.
“I kind of wanted to win tonight,” Fahnestock said. “I almost went to U of I. I think this [win] is a little bit more for me. I got a little more involvement in the game. I wanted to beat them for a long time.”
“[It was] nice to see Fahnestock out there,” Utah State Head Coach Burt Fuller said. “She’s had some really good matches. She’s doing a nice job.”
Junior Zuzana Cernianska led the way for the Aggies with 19 kills. Fahnestock, a freshman, was not far behind with 14 kills, hitting .458 for the night. Amanda Orgill and Carolyn Forbush both contributed to the offense as well with nine kills each.
Ingrid Roth was back in for the first game since she sprained her knee last weekend. She had eight kills and three blocks.
Fuller said that all of the players had a good night, each contributing to the team in their own way.
“We addressed a few things and the team responded real well,” Fuller said. “We needed to play with emotion and play tougher and they came out and did that.”
In game one the Ags were able to get the first point, but the Vandals stayed with them for most of the match. Towards the end of the match, however, USU pulled away and was able to win the first game 30-24.
Game two started out much like the first, both teams staying close and getting points. But an 8-2 run put the Vandals up 19-12 and they held the lead for the rest of the game to win 30-18.
“I kind of felt like that might have happened,” Fahnestock said. “We probably came in a little confident. They came out thinking they’ve got to work harder and we didn’t play as well as we should have.”
“It was real nice to see them run down the tunnel [before game three] and get ready to play,” Fuller said.
Game three was the opposite of game two for the Ags. They came out strong and held Idaho to a -.118 hitting percentage. A 9-0 run at the end of the game gave the Aggies a 30-20 win.
“I can’t even describe it actually,” Fahnestock said. “It was a great feeling to be out there on the court to get that win. Just to see them, to play against them, for us to work together. It was so much more fun – we had so much fun tonight.”
In game four, USU came out and quickly went up 9-4. After a 5-0 scare from the Vandals that brought them to within five, the Aggies took control of the rest of the game and won 30-23 for the match win.
“We really have improved,” Fahnestock said. “As a team we have come together so much more. It’s all going uphill and we know we need to keep working hard. I’m excited about how we’re playing.”
The Aggies’ next match is Thursday. They will be hosting UC Irvine in the Spectrum at 7 p.m.
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Dominique arsenaul gets the set Thursday night in the Spectrum. (Photo by Michael Sharp)