USU To Face WAC Newcomers UTSA And Texas State In First League Matches Of Season, Making First Treks To San Antonio, San Marcos
Sept. 11, 2012
LOGAN, Utah -
Thursday, Sept. 13 - 5:30 p.m. (MT)
UTAH STATE at UTSA
Convocation Center (4,080)
San Antonio, TexasSaturday, Sept. 15 - 1 p.m. (MT)
UTAH STATE at Texas State
Strahan Coliseum (7,200)
San Marcos, Texas
Follow all the action with "live stats," "watch live" and "listen live" links when available at UtahStateAggies.com
Utah State Volleyball Notes at UTSA and Texas State 
The Last Meeting
September 3, 2011
Logan, Utah
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STORYLINES
• Wrapping up its season-long seven-match road swing, Utah State volleyball will head to Texas for its Western Athletic Conference opener against league newcomers UTSA on Thursday, Sept. 13 at 5:30 p.m. (MT) and Texas State on Saturday, Sept. 15 at 1 p.m.
• Since joining the Western Athletic Conference, USU is 5-2 in conference openers.
• This is the fourth time in the last five years that the Aggies have opened league play on the road, with last season's home league lid lifter as the only home match in that stretch.
• This weekend is Utah State volleyball's first visit to both Texas cities of San Antonio and San Marcos.
• It is also USU volleyball's first visit to Texas since 2002 when USU played in the University of Texas Longhorn Classic in Austin, Texas, where Utah State faced Texas, UTEP as well as UTSA, which is the last meeting between the Aggies and Roadrunners.
• Sophomore setter
Paige Neves recently became the 12th player in Aggie history with 1,000 career assists two weeks ago and needs just 114 assists from tying for the No. 10 spot.
• Senior outside hitter
Josselyn White, who has missed the Aggies' last four and a half matches with illness, has 271 career total blocks, needing eight to tie for the No. 10 spot on the USU career total blocks list... White also has 26 block solos, needing 11 to tie for the No. 10 spot on the career solo block list and logging 246 career block assists, needing 12 more to tie for 10th.
LIVE STATS
Live stats are available via "Live Stats" link at the USU Athletics web site at www.utahstateaggies.com, the official web site of USU athletics.
LIVE VIDEO
Utah State's match at Texas State will be streamed on the Internet by clicking on the "Watch Live" link at www.UtahStateAggies.com, the official web site of USU athletics.
LOOKING AT UTAH STATE
The Aggies are 5-4 after getting swept in a pair of matches at Manhattan, Kan., over the weekend, falling to Saint Mary's on Friday and No. 22 Kansas State on Saturday in USU's first match against a ranked opponent this season... Friday's match was the first time that USU had been swept this season as the Aggies have dropped two matches in a row after winning their previous four.
USU's attack percentage dipped from .226 last week to .210 this week, and the Aggies' kills average slid from 11.93 per set to 11.00... The Utah State defense is still averaging over three blocks per set (3.04) as well as improving its digs average, now at 12.12 per set.
Sophomore outside hitter Rachel Orr (Thatcher, Ariz.) leads USU with 94 kills, posting 2.76 per set... Orr posted 10 kills against Kansas State after seven in the Saint Mary's match... For the season, Orr adds 0.56 digs per set to go with 0.47 blocks per set... Orr is eighth in the WAC in attack percentage with .279 (94-31-226), as well as 11th in kills per set (2.76).
Redshirt-freshman middle blocker Elle Brainard (Saratoga Springs, Utah) leads not only USU but the WAC with a .412 attack percentage (60-11-119)... Brainard also leads the team as well as the WAC in blocking with 1.47 blocks per set with 50 total blocks, which are the most in the conference... Brainard is 15th in the NCAA stats for blocks and 24th for attack percentage
Senior outside hitter Josselyn White (Smithfield, Utah) has missed the Aggies' last four and a half matches with illness, but is fourth in the WAC in points per set (3.76) as well as sixth in kills per set (3.12) and seventh in hitting percentage (.286)... White adds 2.18 digs per set and 0.76 blocks per set.
Sophomore setter Paige Neves (Otto, Wyo.) became the 12th Aggie volleyball player to reach the 1,000 career assists milestone two weeks ago in San Diego, Calif., and now with 1,166 assists after 64 over the weekend, Neves has moved up to No. 11 on USU's Career Assists list, passing Heather Hillier (2005-08) with 1,139... Neves is 114 assists away from tying for the No. 10 spot held by Mindi Jackson (1995-96)... With 9.42 assists per set, Neves is fourth in the WAC.
Sophomore middle blocker Kaitlyn VanHoff (Draper, Utah) is second on the team and second in the WAC for blocks with 1.35 blocks per set, ranking second in the league with 46 total blocks, four behind Brainard's 50 total blocks... VanHoff adds 1.35 kills per set.
Sophomore libero Ashlan Rogers (Highland, Utah) is ninth in the WAC with 3.32 digs per set, but leads the league in service aces with 0.44 per set, serving up a WAC-high 15 already.
Senior opposite side hitter Shay Sorensen (North Ogden, Utah) is ninth in the WAC in points per set with 3.31, adding 2.59 kills per set, 1.91 digs per set and 1.00 blocks per set.
AGGIES NINTH IN BLOCKING IN NCAA STATS
With its 3.04 blocks per set team average, Utah State leads the WAC and is ninth in the NCAA statistics... Texas leads the nation with 3.42 bps
UTAH STATE IN CONFERENCE OPENERS
Since the 1990 season, Utah State is 9-13 (.409) in conference openers, which includes a 6-5 home record, but is just 3-8 in opening conference action on the road... Since joining the Western Athletic Conference, USU is 5-2 in conference openers, defeating New Mexico State (3-0) in 2005, Fresno State (3-1) in 2006, Boise State (3-0) in 2007, San Jose State (3-2) in 2008, followed by a loss at New Mexico State (3-0) in 2009 and a loss at Hawai'i (3-0) in 2010, before bouncing back with a win over San Jose State (3-0) in 2011... This is the fourth time in the last five years that the Aggies have opened league play on the road, with last season's home league lid lifter as the only home match in that stretch.
AGGIES AGAINST THE WEEKEND FOES
Utah State has a combined 4-1 mark against this weekend's foes... USU last played Texas State last year in the season-opening USU Invitational sponsored by Gossner Foods, while the Aggies haven't faced the Roadrunners of UTSA since 2002.
UTSA - USU is 2-0 against UTSA and will be facing UTSA in San Antonio for the first time... Utah State and UTSA first met in 1994 and haven't met since 2002... The Aggies and Roadrunners first squared off in 1994 at the Gonzaga Invitational, with USU winning, 3-1... The two teams last faced each other at the 2002 Longhorn Classic, hosted by the University of Texas in Austin, Texas with USU collecting a 3-0 win.
Texas State - The Aggies are 2-1 against Texas State and also making their first trek to San Marcos, first meeting in 1990 when Texas State was known as Southwest Texas State, meeting at the UT-Arlington tournament with the Bobcats earning a sweep of the Aggies... USU and TSU then met in the both teams' 2003 season openers at the Weber State Classic in Ogden, Utah, with the Aggies collecting a 3-1 win... Texas State participated in last season's Utah State Invitational, sponsored by Gossner Foods and the Aggies won in a five-set battle.
FIRST VISIT TO THE ALAMO CITY AND PRESIDENT LBJ'S ALMA MATER
This weekend is Utah State volleyball's first visit to both Texas cities of San Antonio and San Marcos, as the previous two meetings between USU and UTSA have been on neutral courts while two of the three meetings between Utah State and Texas State have been on neutral courts with the third being on the Aggies' home court.
LONG TIME BETWEEN LONE STAR STATE VISITS
It is Utah State's first visit to Texas since 2002 when USU played in the University of Texas Longhorn Classic in Austin, Texas, where Utah State faced Texas, UTEP as well as UTSA, which is the last meeting between the Aggies and Roadrunners.
TURNING PAIGE 1,000 IN RECORD BOOK
Sophomore setter Paige Neves became the 12th Aggie player to reach the 1,000 assists milestone as her 133 assists two weeks ago in San Diego gave her 1,102 assists for her career... After 64 last weekend in Kansas, Neves now has 1,166 assists, taking over the No. 11 spot on USU's Career Assists list from Heather Hillier (2005-08) who had 1,139 assists... Neves is just 114 assists from tying for the No. 10 spot held by Mindi Jackson (1995-96).
Assists
1) 4520 Chelsea Fowles 2007-10
2) 3942 Carrie Steverson 1988-91
3) 3533 Lori Sargent-McKnight 1996-99
4) 2809 Chelsi Neves 2000-01
5) 2618 Stephanie Maurer 1984-87
6) 2265 Andrea Delsigne 2001-03
7) 2025 Randi Winn 1992-93
8) 1965 Dominique Arsenault 2003-05
9) 1495 Kalei Arnold 1992-95
10) 1280 Mindi Jackson 1995-96
11) 1166 Paige Neves 2009-Pres.
12) 1139 Heather Hillier 2005-08
13) 937 Zuzana Cerniansa 2002-05
WHITE RANKS 10TH ALL-TIME AT UTAH STATE IN ATTACKS
Senior outside hitter
Josselyn White ranks 10th all-time at Utah State with 2,383 career attacks and is 302 attacks away from tying Niki Conner (1995-98) for ninth all-time with 2,685 career attacks... White is also approaching the USU top 10 career lists in four other categories... She has 696 kills, needing 197 to crack into the career kills list... White has 271 career total blocks, needing eight to tie for the No. 10 spot on the USU career total blocks list, as well as totalling 25 block solos, needing 12 to tie for the No. 10 spot on the career solo block list and logging 246 career block assists, needing 12 more to tie for 10.
Senior opposite side hitter Shay Sorensen has 629 kills, needing 234 to break into the career top 10 kills list as well as having a .197 career hitting percentage, needing to improve by .029 to tie for the No. 10 mark on the career hitting percentage list.
AGGIES NAMED TO ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAMS HISTORY
With two USU players named to the SDSU Aztec Challenge all-tournament team and three Aggie players being named to the USU Invitational sponsored by Gossner Foods all-Tournament team, Utah State adds to its collection of all-Tournament team honors... Here's a closer look at the current Aggies' all-Tournament team collection:
2012
SDSU Aztec Challenge
Rachel Orr - OH
Elle Brainard - MBUtah State Invitational
Josselyn White - OH
Elle Brainard - MB
Ashlan Rogers - LIB
2011
Utah State Invitational
Shay Sorensen - OH
Josselyn White - OH - *MVP
2010
Utah Classic
Josselyn White - OH
Montana Invitational
Shay Sorensen - OPP - *MVP
DUBOSE THREE FROM 100
USU head coach Grayson DuBose is three wins from 100 career wins, as the seventh-year Aggie head coach has a 97-91 (.516) record... With USU's four-set win at Cal State Fullerton on Sept. 17, 2011, DuBose moved ahead of former Aggie head coach Burt Fuller (2001-05) and into second-place all-time at USU for career wins... When he reaches 100 wins, DuBose would become just the second coaching position to reach 100 wins... Marilyn McReavy and Mary Jo Peppler hold the school record with 209 wins as they were co-head coaches from 1976-81.
ABOUT THE WEEKEND FOES
UTSA - The Roadrunners have a 6-3 record after losing to Houston Baptist in three, snapping a four-match winning streak... Prior to Monday's loss, UTSA's 6-2 record was its best start in school history for UTSA since 1988... On Friday, the Roadrunners knocked off Houston in four sets.
Junior outside hitter McKenzie Adams is this week's WAC Player of the Week after averaging 4.25 kills and a WAC-best 5.0 digs per set to go with her fifth double-double of the season with 17 kills and 20 digs in UTSA's win over Houston... Adams leads UTSA with 3.60 kills per set, adding 3.66 digs per set and 0.51 blocks per set... Senior middle hitter Brittney Malloy leads the team with 1.03 blocks per set, adding 2.26 kills per set on a .368 attack percentage, just shy of team-leader freshman middle hitter Kylie Schott's .402 attack percentage... Junior setter Brandy Husky dishes out 10.29 assists per set while freshman defensive specialist Annie Kunes leads the team with 4.22 digs per set.
UTSA is coached by Laura Neugebauer-Groff, who is in her 11th season at the helm of the Roadrunners' program, compiling a 174-156 record there... In her 19th overall season in coaching, Neugebauer-Groff has a 430-218 career ledger.
TEXAS STATE - The Bobcats bring a 5-6 record into their opening WAC action after going 1-2 at the SMU Invitational, getting swept by Auburn before sweeping host SMU then losing to Wichita State in three... Texas State kicks off WAC play against San Jose State on Thursday.
Sophomore outside hitter Alexandra Simms leads Texas State with 3.19 kills per set while junior middle blocker Ashlee Hilbun totes a team-leading .221 attack percentage, adding 2.58 klls per set, adding 1.50 digs per set... Senior setter Caleigh McCorquodale distributes 7.06 assists per set while sophomore middle blocker Molly Ahrens averages 0.97 block per set and sophomore libero Laura Whalen has a 2.97 digs per set average.
Karen Chisum is in her 33rd season at the leash of the Bobcats, amassing a 748-467-3 record... Chisum is the sixth winningest active head coach in NCAA Division I volleyball, last season Texas State won its sixth Southland Conference regular season championship and seventh tournament title during her tenure.
Josselyn White NAMED USU ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Utah State volleyball player Josselyn White has been named the first America First Credit Union Utah State Student-Athlete of the Week of the 2012-13 school year, for the period ending Sunday, Aug. 26. This award is voted on by a state-wide media panel.
White, a senior outside hitter from Smithfield, Utah (Sky View HS), was named to the Utah State Invitational, sponsored by Gossner Foods, all-tournament team last weekend as she helped USU to a 3-1 record and a second-place finish. During the tournament, White hit .278 (43-13-108) with 43 kills, 34 digs and 10 blocks. White posted a career-high .500 attack percentage (14-0-28) in the win against Portland and logged a career-high 18 digs against Southern Utah.
With 10 total blocks on the weekend, White now has 268 career total blocks, needing just 11 more to break into the USU career top 10 list. It was White's third career all-Tournament Team honor, after being named to last year's Utah State Invitational all-Tournament team and MVP, as well as the Utah Classic all-Tournament Team as a sophomore in 2010.
This is White's first career USU Student-Athlete of the Week accolade.
UTAH STATE VERSUS THE STATE OF UTAH
Utah State improved to 30-20 (.600) versus the state of Utah during the last 12 years after going 2-1 against in-state foes in the opening weekend, including a 16-7 (.696) home record... Under seventh-year head coach Grayson DuBose, USU is 14-12 (.538) versus teams from the Beehive State, including an 8-6 (.571) record at home.
UTAH STATE RANKED 10TH IN THE NATION IN BLOCKING LAST SEASON
Utah State ranked 10th in the country in blocking (2.79) last season... Individually, middle blocker Kaitlyn VanHoff ranked 47th in the nation in blocking (1.19), while senior All-American outside hitter Liz McArthur ranked 82nd in the nation in kills per set (3.72) and 98th in points per set (4.17).
UTAH STATE LED THE WAC IN BLOCKING
Utah State finished the 2011 season ranking first in the WAC in blocks (2.79), second in digs (15.05), sixth in hitting percentage (.168), seventh in kills (11.15), seventh in assists (10.38) and eighth in service aces (0.97).
EVERETT RANKED SECOND IN THE WAC IN BLOCKS
Individually, senior Alyssa Everett finished the season second in the WAC in blocks (1.27) while sophomore Kaitlyn VanHoff finished fourth (1.19)... Senior outside hitter Josselyn White was among the WAC leaders statistically as she was ninth in kills (2.73), eighth in blocks (1.01) and seventh in points (3.45) per set. Sophomore Paige Neves ranked seventh in the WAC in assists, (8.83 per set).
RECAPPING LAST SEASON
Utah State finished the 2011 season with a 17-12 overall mark, posting an even 7-7 WAC record to tied for fourth in the conference... As the No. 4 seed, the Aggies lost to fifth-seeded Fresno State in three sets (25-18, 25-19, 25-10) in the quarterfinals of the WAC Tournament... Opposite side hitter Shay Sorensen earned second-team all-WAC honors following her junior season as she hit .202 and averaged 2.57 kills, 0.71 digs and 0.86 blocks per set... Setter Paige Neves was named to the WAC's all-freshman team in 2011 after hitting .225 and averaging 8.83 assists, 2.48 digs and 0.71 blocks... Sorensen hit .202 last season and averaged 2.57 kills, 0.71 digs and 0.86 blocks per set... Neves ranked seventh in the WAC in assists at 8.83 per set and added 2.48 digs per set as well as 16 service aces, second among the USU returners... Outside hitter Josselyn White was among the WAC leaders statistically last year as she was ninth in kills (2.73), eighth in blocks (1.01) and seventh in points (3.45) per set... Libero Ashlan Rogers averaged 2.61 digs per set as well as leading the team with 23 service aces a season ago as a freshman, while sophomore Kaitlyn VanHoff was fourth in the WAC in blocks at 1.19 per set.
-USU-
Junior outside hitter Josselyn White posted a career-high 20 kills including five in the crucial fifth-set to lead Utah State's volleyball team (3-3) to a five-set win (16-25, 25-23, 25-15, 20-25, 15-10) against Texas State (3-3) here Saturday night to win its own Utah State Invitational.
