USU spikers snap losing streak to Utes with sweep
There is no denying that the Utah State women’s volleyball team is young. The Aggies have seven freshman, three of which see regular playing time. There are only two seniors on the squad – middle blocker Erin Cartwright and libero Taubi Neves.
USU middle blocker Ingrid Roth said the team’s 3-0 win (32-30, 30-23, 32-30) over the University of Utah (6-5) on Tuesday was especially important because it showed the younger players how a home victory over an in-state rival feels.
“We showed them how much pride goes into in-state games like the U, BYU, Weber and UVSC,” the sophomore said. “We showed them that we need to be No. 1 in our area and we showed everyone in Utah that we can play. [The win] is really nice.”
Roth was especially happy to get the win as a team, but she was even more pleased with her positive output on the court.
After struggling in the Big West Conference opener at Cal State Northridge and the following game at Pacific, Roth finished the match against the Utes hitting .429 with eight kills and teamed up for five block with freshman Mari Ruddick.
Roth was involved in the final two blocks of game three to secure the sweep for the Aggies (8-4 overall and 1-1 in BWC play).
She said she thought the Utes underestimated her playing ability because of the film they probably studied from the last couple of games.
Roth credited some of her improved play to setter Andrea Delsigne.
“It’s kind of been a slump for me the past couple of games, but I think I finally got out of it a little bit thanks to some good passing,” Roth said. “Andrea had some really good set choices, even if I wasn’t the one being set. She got the ball where it needed to be.”
Delsigne finished the match with four kills and seven of the team’s 36 digs.
The setter issue for Utah was a little different, though. After the Utes regular setter, Kelsi Kartchner, recorded a mere five sets in the second game, Head Coach Beth Launiere switched the junior out for Tracy Neumeier, who recorded 16 sets in the final game.
“Our offensive numbers weren’t bad with Kelsi in, but she’s not connecting with our middles,” Launiere said. “I don’t really have answers anymore except to just give Tracy a chance.”
One middle in particular that Kartchner wasn’t hooking up with was preseason Mountain West Conference Player of the Year Kim Turner. The senior ranks second in blocks per game (1.56), third in points (4.92) and sixth in kills per game (3.77).
The Aggies held Turner to nine kills, 10 digs and .240 hitting percentage.
“That is a low output for her, but a great match for anyone else,” said Utah State Head Coach Burt Fuller. “Maybe we took her out with the serving. … I’m not exactly sure what happened there.”
Shelly Sommerfeldt led the Utes with 15 kills, while Lyndsey Henderson added 13.
Sommerfeldt was especially effective for Utah toward the end of the first game when she recorded four straight kills when Turner was serving to bring her team to a knot at 27-27. The Aggies eventually nabbed the win with kills by Zuzana Cernianska and Ruddick, as well as a couple of hitting errors on the part of the Utes.
Coming into the match Utah led the series 38-22, sweeping the last meeting on Oct. 29, 2002
“Obviously you get excited when you beat good programs and Utah over the last few years is a quality program,” Fuller said. “For us to win up here against [the Utes] is really nice.”
The Aggies had lost three straight matches to the Utes before Tuesday’s contest.
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Utah State libero Taubi Neves bumps the ball during Tuesday’s 3-0 win against the University of Utah. (Photos by Ryan Talbot)