Courtesy of Utah State Athletics
TEMPE, Arizona – At first, it seemed like Utah State volleyball would waltz into the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Then, it seemed like the USU’s dream season might end in heartbreaking fashion.
But in a do-or-die fifth set, the Aggies fought off a furious comeback from seventh-seeded Tennessee to claim a thrilling 3-2 (25-19, 25-15, 20-25, 18-25, 15-11) victory in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. This is the first NCAA Tournament victory for Utah State volleyball since recording wins in back-to-back seasons in 2000 and 2001.
With the win, Utah State will now face No. 2 Arizona State on Friday, Dec. 5, at 6 p.m. (MT).
Sophomore setter Kaylie Kofe engineered the Aggie offense to a .312 hitting percentage, recording 57 assists. Senior middle blocker Tierney Barlow led USU with 16 kills on a team-best .560 hitting percentage while sophomore opposite side hitter Loryn Helgesen added 14 kills. The duo also tied for the team lead with four blocks apiece with each player also registering a solo block. Sophomore outside hitter Andrea Simovski also had 14 kills and sophomore outside hitter Mara Štiglic stuffed the stat sheet with 12 kills, six digs, three blocks and three assists. Junior libero/defensive specialist Kendel Thompson led the Aggie defense with 16 digs, also leading the team with two service aces.
Head coach Rob Neilson
“That’s an unbelievable Tennessee team. We gave them all they could handle in those first two sets and then they responded. They’re a great team obviously, well coached and talented, physical. Then you get to a fifth set and it’s a coin flip. I thought we made enough plays and battled and came through adversity. I’m really proud of this group and I’m excited that we get to play some more volleyball together.”
Set One
The Aggies came roaring out of the gates, registering kills on nine of their first 13 attacks en route to taking a 10-5 lead to force a Tennessee timeout. Štiglic posted three kills during the early run, part of a 7-0-10 line for the Croatian in the opening set. Out of the timeout, the Vols responded with a 9-2 stretch to take a lead midway through the frame and force an Aggie timeout. USU stemmed the tide with a kill from redshirt freshman middle blocker Lauren Larkin that preceded a block by Barlow and Helgesen. A Helgesen kill and Thompson ace then made it a 4-0 Aggie run to deliver the advantage back to Utah State. The Vols scored back-to-back points to tie it at 16 before the teams alternated the ensuing six rallies. With the set tied at 19, the Aggies closed the frame on a 6-0 burst. Helgesen ignited the run with a kill before teaming with Larkin on a block to firmly give the Aggies control late in the set. Štiglic then delivered back-to-back kills to clinch the 25-19 win to open the match. Utah State hit .382 in the opening frame while holding Tennessee to .188 to take a 1-0 lead.
Set Two
Utah State again came out strong, using a 14-3 onslaught to grab hold of the second set. Simovski powered the on-fire start with five kills while Thompson added her second ace of the match to help build a double-digit cushion. The Aggies went a perfect 8-of-8 on attacks to begin the frame. Tennessee closed the gap with a 6-1 stretch, forcing a USU timeout. A Helgesen kill halted the Vols’ momentum before Utah State went on to close the set on a 5-1 run featuring a pair of kills from Barlow and a Helgesen ace plus a block by Štiglic and Barlow to help seal the 25-15 win. The Aggies improved on both their offensive and defensive marks from the first set, hitting .444 while holding Tennessee to .171 to go up 2-0 for the match.
Set Three
The Aggies again went up early as Barlow recorded three-straight kills and then a solo block as part of a personal 4-0 run to put USU ahead 7-4. The Vols, however, answered back with an 11-4 stretch to take a late four-point lead in the set. The Aggies battled back within two at 21-19 with Simovski supplying a pair of kills but Tennessee went on a 4-1 run to take the set, 25-20, to extend the match to a fourth set.
Set Four
The Vols maintained momentum to begin the fourth set, opening up a 10-5 lead out of the gates. USU scored three-straight points with Larkin and Helgesen both registering kills to trim the deficit to two points. Tennessee answered again, scoring seven of the next 10 rallies to extend their lead to six points. The Aggies were unable to build a comeback attempt as the Vols secured a 25-18 win to send the match to a winner-takes-all fifth set.
Fifth Set
In a pivotal start to the set, Utah State went up 5-2 courtesy of a pair of Simovski kills and three attacking errors from the Vols. The Aggies led by four points at 12-8 following two kills from Helgesen before Tennessee clawed back within one after three-straight points. USU regained the advantage from the defensive side as Barlow and Helgesen combined for a block to make it 13-11. Barlow then killed back-to-back balls off the slide to secure the 15-11 victory and send the Aggies into the second round.
Quick Notes
- Utah State also extended their overall winning streak to 22 matches, the third-longest streak in program history, trailing only a 23-game streak spanning the team’s 1978 national title season and 1979, and a program-record 26-game streak in 1978. USU’s streak is now tied for the third-longest active streak in the nation.
- Utah State hit .312 for the match, their 11th-straight match recording a .250 hitting percentage or better. The Aggies are now hitting .274 on the season, a mark which would break the current program record of .238 set in 2016.
- Utah State is now 3-6 in the NCAA Tournament all-time, recording their first win since defeating BYU in Salt Lake City in 2001. USU also defeated Missouri the year prior in Provo, Utah.
- The Aggies are now 19-13-1 all-time against SEC teams and recorded their first win over the conference since beating Alabama in 2003.
- Utah State improved to a 29-4 record during Kofe’s career when she records at least 10.0 assists per set.
Up Next
The Aggies continue play in the second round of the NCAA Tournament against second-seeded Arizona State on Friday, Dec. 5, at 6 p.m. (MT). The game will be streamed on ESPN+.
Fans can follow the Aggie volleyball program on Twitter, @USUVolleyball, on Facebook at /USUVolleyball or on Instagram, @usuvolleyball. Aggie fans can also follow the Utah State athletic program on Twitter, @USUAthletics, Facebook at /USUAthletics and on Instagram, @USUAthletics.
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