Oct. 22, 2007

LOGAN, Utah - Utah State volleyball player Amanda Nielson has been named the Western Athletic Conference Player of the Week it was announced by the league office on Monday. Nielson was also named the America First Credit Union Utah State Student-Athlete of the Week, which is voted on by a state media panel, for the period ending on Sunday, Oct. 21.

Nielson becomes the second USU volleyball player this year to earn the weekly WAC award, joining Melissa Osterloh who received the honor on Oct. 1. Overall, it is the fourth time that USU has had a player earn weekly WAC accolades in its three years in the conference.

Nielson, a 6-0 senior opposite side hitter from West Valley City, Utah (Granger HS) led Utah State to a 2-1 record last week with wins against Idaho (3-0) and Boise State (3-0) and a loss to 11th-ranked Hawai'i (3-0). Nielson began her week by recording a match-high 16 kills and a team-high nine digs against Hawai'i. She then tied the school record for most kills in a three-game match with 24 against Idaho as she also had eight digs against the Vandals and hit .312 (24-9-48). Nielson then concluded her week by again tying the school's single-match kills record with 24 more kills against Boise State. In the match against the Broncos, she hit .353 (24-6-51) and notched her sixth double-double of the season with 11 digs.

For the week, Nielson averaged an amazing 7.83 points, 7.11 kills, 3.11 digs, 0.78 blocks and 0.33 service aces per game.

Overall, Nielson ranks first in the WAC in service aces per game (0.46), third in points per game (5.85) and third in kills per game (4.88). As of Oct. 14, Nielson also ranked 42nd nationally in kills per game and 83rd in service aces per game.

Utah State is 11-10 on the year and in third-place in the WAC an 8-4 league record and has won nine of its last 13 matches after starting the season with a 2-6 record. USU will play three more matches this week as it travels to Ogden to face Weber State on Tuesday, Oct. 23, followed by home matches against Utah Valley on Thursday, Oct. 25 and Fresno State on Saturday, Oct. 27 at 7 p.m. in the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum.

Nominees from other sports included:
FOOTBALL - Senior wide receiver/kick returner Kevin Robinson (Fresno, Calif.) had a 70-yard punt return for a touchdown in Utah State's 31-28 loss to Nevada Saturday. It was Robinson's third special teams TD of the season (two kick returns, one punt return) and his fourth career punt return for touchdown. Robinson ended the game with three punt returns for 87 yards (29.0 yards per return) as part of his 183 all-purpose yards (87 punt return, 66 kick return, 18 receiving, 12 rush).

MEN'S GOLF - Junior Brandon Broadhead (Brigham City, Utah) scored two points for Utah State's men's golf team against Southern Utah this weekend in Ryder Cup-style play as the Aggies lost to the Thunderbirds 11.5 to 8.5. Broadhead teamed with Thad Truman for the Aggies only win during the best-ball competition as they defeated Southern Utah's Nate Page and Chas Boorman, 3&2. Broadhead then defeated SUU's Tim Hawkins, 4&2, in match play.

MEN'S TENNIS - Freshman Jakob Asplund (Stockholm, Sweden) went 3-2 on the weekend in singles action and compiled a 3-3 doubles record with sophomore Oscar Ericsson last weekend at the ITA Regionals in Las Vegas, Nev. Asplund beat Montana State's No. 24 Jakub Dybala (7-5, 7-6) in the round of 128 and fell to David Campbell of UNLV (6-3, 6-1) in the round of 64. Asplund then won two straight consolation matches defeating Denver's Varun Gunaseelan (6-2, 6-2) and UNLV's Brian Miller (6-1, 6-1) before losing to New Mexico State's Stefan McKinney (6-7, 6-3, 6-0).

SOCCER - Junior forward Candice Clark (Provo, Utah) scored a goal and tallied an assist in Utah State's 2-0 shutout win against Nevada on Friday. She then added four shots, including two on goal in the Aggies' 1-0 loss at Fresno State on Sunday.

2007-08 Utah State Athlete of the Week Winners
Sept. 4 - Dana Peart, Soccer
Sept. 10 - Amanda Nielson, Volleyball
Sept. 17 - Dana Peart, Soccer
Sept. 24 - Kevin Robinson, Football
Oct. 1 - Melissa Osterloh, Volleyball
Oct. 8 - Kevin Robinson, Football
Oct. 15 - Seth Wold, Cross Country
Oct. 22 - Amanda Nielson, Volleyball