Volleyball falls to red-clad Aggies
In any sport, beating an opponent three consecutive times in a season is a daunting task. Tuesday, the feat proved too difficult for the Utah State women’s volleyball team.
In the clash of the Aggies, it was fourth-seeded New Mexico State University that emerged victorious with a victory over first-seeded Utah State in the semifinals of the WAC Tournament.
After taking six of seven sets from the red-clad Aggies in the regular season, it was all NMSU this time around.
USU raced to an early lead thanks in large part to New Mexico State errors, but the red Aggies found their groove and were not denied, coming from behind to take the first set 25-21.
The roll continued for the duration of the match as Utah State mustered a .102 hitting percentage, compared to .243 for New Mexico State.
“We just didn’t respond very well with our ball control,” said head coach Grayson DuBose. “We got aced uncharacteristically a lot. We couldn’t keep any kind of rhythm offensively.”
NMSU finished with nine service aces on the night en route to a 25-19 and 25-16 sweep in which the southern Aggies led by as many as 11 down the stretch. Each time the northern Aggies made a run, New Mexico State had an answer.
Seniors Shay Sorensen and Josselyn White finished with seven and four kills, respectively, in their final games in USU uniforms. Utah State recorded 12 block assists on the night.
Utah State finished with a 21-9 record overall this season en route to the WAC regular season title. It was the second time under Coach DuBose the Aggies have reached the 20-win plateau and the first ever regular season WAC title. DuBose also led the 2010 squad to the NCAA Tournament after upsetting nationally-ranked Hawaii.
DuBose was named Coach of the Year at the WAC banquet prior to the tournament, and five different Aggies received postseason awards.
“We’re going to be able to look back and see that we accomplished a lot,” DuBose said. “We have to be proud of what we’ve done. We’ve got some seniors that leave this program a lot better than they found it. There’s a legacy in that. We’re really proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish this season.”
-curtis.lundstrom@aggiemail.usu.edu
Twitter: @CurtisLundstrom