Volleyball looks to extend winning streak to seven matches
Fresh off its second victory over a top-15 team in a week, the Utah State women’s volleyball team will look to extend its winning streak to seven matches in a rematch with the University of Idaho on Friday at 8:30 p.m. in Moscow.
The two teams took the court on Sept. 22 with the Aggies (10-4, 6-1 in league play) escaping the Spectrum with a 3-2 victory.
Ever since that match, USU and Idaho have headed in different directions, with the Vandals dropping five of their last eight matches, while the Aggies have gone 6-1 during that span.
When asked if USU’s and Idaho’s record might be a lot different had the Vandals (7-9, 2-5) won that match, head coach Burt Fuller said it’s hard to say, but winning a close match does wonders for a team’s confidence.
“It always helps to win a close match and build confidence,” he said.
Although the Aggies have fared better since that match, they are not, by any means, overlooking the Vandals, Fuller said. In fact, the last time Idaho played USU on its home court, the Vandals came away with a sweep.
“We have to be real good against solid teams in the middle of the conference [standings],” Fuller said.
One thing is for sure, USU can attribute much of its recent success to solid play on both sides of the ball, Fuller said.
Since the beginning of Big West Conference play, the Aggies have out-dug their opponent in seven of eight matches and have hit above .260 in their last five matches.
“We’re passing the ball well, and at that point your offense can click,” Fuller said.
When the Aggies are able to out-dig their opponent, it plays to their advantage, Fuller said. Since the Aggies are not overpowering on offense, he said digging a few extra balls gives them more opportunities to end a rally against a quality opponent.
“It gives us more opportunities to swing, a couple more opportunities to end a rally,” Fuller said.
One area Fuller said USU has plenty of room for improvement, but have improved a great deal, is blocking. Despite playing teams that consistently have more height than they do, the Aggies have held their own.
“Although we’re not a huge team, we’re deflecting a lot of balls, which doesn’t show up in the stats,” he said.
In order to be successful against the Vandals, the Aggies will need to do a better job of keeping middle blocker Anna-Marie Hammond and outside hitter Laura McCaffrey in check.
Hammond and McCaffrey combined for 38 kills in the team’s last meeting and led Idaho with 178 and 172 kills, respectively.
For the Aggies, senior Lisa Borom continues to lead in kills with 203. Senior Heather Olmstead is pacing the team in digs with 145.