Volleyball takes two out of three at tournament
The Utah State Uuniversity women’s volleyball team finished as expected last weekend at the University Park Holiday Inn Classic in Fort Collins, Colo., as the Aggies took second behind host Colorado State University in the four-team tournament.
USU 3, Murray State 0
After allowing Murray State University to hit .344 in the first game, Utah State picked up its defensive pressure holding the Racers to a .023 hitting percentage in games two and three as the Aggies swept the Racers 30-23, 30-26 amd 30-19 on Friday night.
“Once we got adjusted to a much smaller lineup in Murray State and made a few changes, we played okay,” said head coach Burt Fuller. “I thought our seniors provided a lot of stability for our team and that helped our younger players settle down and play the way they are capable of.”
Despite the Racers’ hitting percentage in game one, the Aggies took control of the match hitting a whopping .517 in the first game.
Leading the Aggies’ attack were newcomers Lisa Borom and Erin Cartwright. Borom led the Aggies with a game high 12 kills, torching the Racer defense with a .588 hitting percentage.
Cartwright and setter Chelsi Neves added nine and eight kills, respectively, as USU out-hit Murray State .284 to .112.
Defensively, the Aggies made matters difficult for the Racer attack, out-digging them 52 to 37. Senior defensive specialist Heather Olmstead lead all players with 12 digs, followed closely by Borom (11) and Cartwright (10).
The Aggies also dominated the Racers at the net, outblocking them eight to three as a team and held a 10 to two ratio in block assists.
USU 3, Arkansas 1
Using a balanced offensive attack, USU rebounded from a one-game deficit against the University of Arkansas outpointing the Razorbacks 20-30, 30-27, 30-25, 31-29 on Saturday afternoon.
With the victory, Fuller became the first coach in USU history to win his first two matches. Saturday’s opening match also marked the first time since 1989 that the Aggies opened the season with two straight victories.
Behind the strong play of all-Southeastern Conference player Libby Windell and outside hitter Michelle Coens, game one belonged to Arkansas as the Razorbacks hit a blistering .448.
USU responded, hitting .406 in the third game and .390 in a decisive fourth game.
Still recovering from offseason abdominal surgery, outside hitter Tanya McArthur Birch was a force against the Razorbacks. Birch finished the match with 22 kills, 13 digs – both match highs – two service aces and a .486 hitting percentage.
In addition to Birch’s play, the Aggies also received strong contributions from Neves (a tournament high 61 assists), Cartwright (20 kills), Borom (13 digs) and senior middle blocker Michelle Matheson (.579 hitting percentage with 12 kills).
Windell and Coens paced the Razorbacks with 19 and 17 kills apiece. The duo lit up the Aggie defense, hitting a combined .622 for the match.
On the defensive end, the Razorbacks owned a 17 to 7 advantage in team blocks, but were out-dug by the Aggies 49 to 41.
Colorado State 3, USU 1
Behind the strong play of All-American Angela Knopf, Colorado State showed the Aggies why it is ranked No. 14 in the country.
Lead by Knopf’s 16 kills and .560 hitting percentage, the Rams beat the Aggies 30-22, 29-31, 30-15, 30-21 on Saturday night. With the victory, CSU upped its record to a perfect 3-0 on the season, while the Aggies fell to 2-1.
Offensively, the Aggies were never able to get on track against the taller CSU squad, although the Aggies did out-hit the Rams .174 to .167 in their game two victory.
For the match, the Rams stymied the Aggies’ attack, holding them to a hitting percentage of .006, while hitting a respectable .250.
For the first time in its young season, USU was outplayed on the defensive end of the court. As a team, the Rams out-dug the Aggies 56 to 49 and finished the match with 11 more team blocks.
In addition to their dominant display of blocking as a team, the Rams were also dominant with 32 block assists to the Aggies 12.
Both Neves and Cartwright were named to the all-tournament team.
The Aggies will travel to Hononlulu, Hawaii to compete in the seventh annual Asten Imua Wahine Volleyball Challenge this Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
USU’s home opener is on Sept. 22 against theBig West Conference foe University of Idaho Vandals in the Spectrum.
Notable: Arkansas beat Murray State in three games to claim third place in the tournament.