Young Ag spikers struggle, finish seventh

All things considered, the USU volleyball team had the season they were expected to have.

They ended their 2006 campaign with a 13-19 overall mark (including a 6-10 finish in Western Athletic Conference action, good enough for seventh place out of a nine-team field).

Though USU was the preseason pick for the WAC’s eighth spot, it was certainly nothing to boast about, but an accomplishment considering the following facts: From 2005 the Aggies had lost Head Coach Burt Fuller to a top-25 University of Utah team. Fuller had, in five seasons with the Aggies, led them into the NCAA tournament twice (2001, 2005).

Plus, the Aggies only returned three starters and five letterwinners in 2006, and welcomed seven freshman aboard.

The ’06 schedule was a brutal one, which featured matches against six teams with top-25 rankings. The Aggies were swept each time, unable to push any match past the minimum three games.

MVP

Though Amanda Nielson had the most service errors (88) and only the fifth-best attacking percentage (.137), she started every match and, aside from Aggie senior Kelsi Peterson, saw the most playing time of anybody on the team.

Nielson recorded 465 kills on the season, which was more than double the amount anybody else recorded. She also tallied 567.5 points, nearly twice as much as any other Aggie.

Against Arkansas-Little Rock Sept. 25, Nielson slammed down a career-high 32 kills and 19 digs to lead the Aggies to a 3-2 victory.

That 32-kill mark was the highest by any USU player since the 2003 season, when Erin Cartwright-Davis had 33 kills.

Nielson will be critical for the Aggies next year, as teammate Beth Hodge will not return to the team.

Most Improved Player

Aggie sophomore Heather Hiller recorded a team-high 926 assists, far surpassing her 2005 mark of 15.

Hillier, a native of Surrey, British Columbia, also tallied 24 kills (six times the amount she had as a freshman).

She also recorded 226 digs, much more than her 97 as a freshman.

Newcomer of the Year

Melissa Larson, who stands 6-foot-3, was a wall at the net for the Aggies. The Pleasonton, Calif., native collected 230 kills with a .247 attacking percentage (highest among teammates who had played in more than 15 games.

Larson also had 214 digs and 56 blocks and will be a valuable returner to the team for the 2007 season, as fellow freshman Hailey Jeppson quit the team shortly after the end of the 2006 season.

-sbhislop@cc.usu.edu