USU club spikers set to start
Expectations for the upcoming season are high.
With a core of returning players and talented newcomers, the Utah State University men’s club volleyball team is looking for a positive start as it hosts a 16-team tournament Friday and Saturday in the HPER.
“I think this year is probably the strongest team I’ve ever seen and we’ve still got a lot to learn,” said right-side hitter Mike Siler.
The Aggies will get a chance to learn when the tournament begins Friday with pool play. The 16 teams will be divided into four pools of four teams.
Results from Friday’s pool play will be used to determine seedings for double-elimination play Saturday.
Among the teams in competition will be two from USU, two from Utah Valley State College, two from Salt Lake Community College, two from the University of Colorado as well as teams from Idaho State University, the University of Utah and several club teams.
With the season just getting under way, Aggie Head Coach Adam Longmore said he doesn’t know what the competition will be like.
“Colorado always has a good program, so they’ll be good,” he said. “Utah always has a good program, but we haven’t seen anybody yet.”
Although this is Utah State’s first tournament, the Aggies opened their season Saturday with an exhibition match in the Spectrum against Idaho State University.
The Aggies swept through ISU in three games, 25-14, 25-21, 25-20.
Despite the relatively easy win, the Aggies weren’t happy with their
performance.
“Personally, I felt we lowered to the competition’s level and it wasn’t us playing to the best that we can,” Siler said. “We certainly put points on the board but by no means were we at our standards.”
Longmore said, “We won in three and that didn’t surprise us, but we played at their level.”
He said the biggest factor in the level of play was that the Aggies were playing in their first match.
“This is our first match of the year, but it’s kind of disappointing because we should have been more competitive and more into the game,” he said.
The one improvement Longmore said he sees this year, though, is in passing.
“I think we pass a lot better than we have in years past,” he said. “Passing has always been kind of a problem here, so it’s good to know we can pass a little bit better.”
With the first match out of the way, the Aggies are set to begin working on improving as a team.
Aggie setter/libero John Wright said he thinks the amount of play in the tournament will be beneficial for Utah State.
“I think we’re going to get lots of playing time and experience, which is going to help our team and we’re just going to grow together as a team,” he said. “I think coming out of the tournament we should be one of the top teams there. I think we have a really good team here, a lot of good players, and we like to work together as a team.”
Matches for both days of the tournament will be held in HPER, Rooms 201 and 209. Pool play is set to begin at 5 p.m. Friday and double-elimination will start Saturday at 9:30 a.m.
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