Volleyball defeats Denver, sets record
Late-match heroics in a high-pressure situation resulted in a school record for the Utah State volleyball team. The Aggies staved off a comeback to defeat Denver in five sets Thursday for a school-record 13th conference win in a single season.
Sophomore Rachel Orr led four Aggies in double-digit kills and USU came away with the win despite hitting .183 percent for the match. After jumping out to a two-sets-to-none lead, the Aggies allowed the Pioneers to win two straight to force a decisive fifth set.
But age and maturity paid dividends for a seasoned Utah State squad down the stretch.
Tied at 10 in the final set, Orr, senior Shay Sorensen and freshman Elle Brainard each recorded kills to fuel a 5-2 run to the finish to thwart the Pioneer comeback.
The Aggies finished with 12 block assists and held Denver to a .189 hitting percentage.
Utah State improved to 18-7 overall this season and 13-2 in conference play to remain atop the WAC standings. Denver fell to 14-11 overall and 7-7 in WAC play.
The Aggies continue their road trip with their second of three pit stops at second-place New Mexico State Saturday Nov. 3 at 7 p.m.
-curtis.lundstrom@aggiemail.usu.edu
Twitter: @CurtisLundstrom