Aggies On Home Court For First Time Since Aug. 25, Hosting League Newcomer Seattle and Old Conference Foe Idaho; DuBose Going For Career Win 100
Sept. 17, 2012
LOGAN, Utah -
Utah State Volleyball Notes - USU Hosting Seattle and Idaho 
Thursday, Sept. 20 - 7 p.m. (MT)
Seattle at UTAH STATE
Dee Glen Smith Spectrum (10,270)
Logan, Utah
The Last Meeting
| Utah State | 3 |
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| Seattle University | 2 |
September 3, 2010
Tempe, Ariz.
Aggies Improve To 5-0 After Defeating Seattle In Five Sets
Junior outside hitter Liz McArthur recorded a match-high 22 kills to lead Utah State to a hard-fought five-set win (25-20, 25-14, 20-25, 14-25, 15-11) against Seattle University Friday night during the first day of competition at the Arizona State hosted Sheraton Classic.
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The Last Meeting
November 5, 2011
Logan, Utah
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Saturday, Sept. 22 - 7 p.m. (MT)
Idaho at UTAH STATE
Dee Glen Smith Spectrum (10,270)
Logan, Utah
Follow all the action with "Gametracker" and "watch live" links
at UtahStateAggies.com
STORYLINES
• Utah State volleyball returns to the friendly confines of the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum for the first time since Aug. 25 after a season-long seven-match road swing. The Aggies host a pair of Western Athletic Conference matches, welcoming league newcomer Seattle on Thursday, Sept. 20 before taking on old conference foe Idaho on Saturday, Sept. 22. First serve for both matches is slated for 7 p.m. (MT).
• USU head coach Grayson DuBose is one win from 100 career wins, as the seventh-year Aggie head coach has a 99-93 (.516) record... 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.
• The Aggies are 2-0 in WAC play for the first time since 2007 after earning victories over UTSA and Texas State.
• Thursday's visit by Seattle will be the Redhawks' first-ever visit to Logan and just the second all-time meeting between USU and SU, with the only other meeting coming in 2010 at the Arizona State Sheraton Classic, the fewest meetings for Utah State with any WAC foe.
• While the Aggies have only faced Seattle once, they have played Idaho 37 times, the second-most of any other WAC opponent behind the 65 meetings with New Mexico State.
• Since joining the Western Athletic Conference, USU is 6-1 in home conference openers, winning its last three in a row.
• Sophomore setter Paige Neves enters the weekend with 1,242 assists, needing just 38 assists to tie for the No. 10 spot held by Mindi Jackson (1995-96) with 1,280 assists.
LIVE STATS
Live stats are available via "Gametracker" links at the USU Athletics web site at www.utahstateaggies.com, the official web site of USU athletics.
LIVE VIDEO
Utah State home matches are streamed on the Internet by clicking on the "Watch Live" link at www.UtahStateAggies.com, the official web site of USU athletics. Fans will need to pay a small fee to watch the match.
LOOKING AT UTAH STATE
USU improved to 7-4 overall and 2-0 in WAC play for the first time since 2007 with a pair of road wins over conference newcomers last weekend... The Aggies topped the Roadrunners of UTSA on Thursday, 3-1, at San Antonio, Texas, before Utah State swept Texas State on Saturday at San Marcos, Texas. Thursday's win snapped USU's season-long three-match losing skid.
The Aggies have a .213 attack percentage, ranking third overall in the WAC, while ranking fourth in WAC only matches hitting .224... Utah State leads the league in blocking in all matches with 3.04 blocks per set, while ranking third in conference only matches at 3.00 bps... The Aggies are fourth overall in the WAC in kills (12.32 per set) while ranking third in conference only matches (14.00)... USU is fifth overall in assists (11.29 per set) as well as third in WAC only matches (12.71 aps)... Utah State is sixth overall in service aces per set (1.22) while ranking fourth (1.29) in league matches... The Aggies are seventh overall in digs per set (13.22) and fourth in WAC only action (18.57).
This week's WAC Volleyball Player of the Week, is USU senior opposite side hitter Shay Sorensen (North Ogden, Utah), who posted a pair of double-doubles over the weekend and now has a team-leading four on the season... Sorensen is second in WAC only matches in kills per set (4.29) and points per set (4.71), ranking sixth overall in the WAC in points per set (3.55), as well as ninth in WAC only matches in attack percentage (.296/30-9-70).
Sophomore outside hitter Rachel Orr (Thatcher, Ariz.) leads USU with 121 kills, posting 2.95 per set with a .264 attack percentage (121-44-292)... Orr adds 0.63 digs per set to go with 0.51 blocks per set... Orr is ninth overall in the WAC in attack percentage, as well as eighth in the league overall in kills... In WAC only matches, Orr is fifth in both kills per set (3.86) and points per set (4.21).
Redshirt-freshman middle blocker Elle Brainard (Saratoga Springs, Utah) leads not only USU but the WAC with 1.59 blocks per set and is third in the WAC in attack percentage at .357 (716-154)... In WAC only matches, Brainard is second in the league in blocks per set (2.14)... Brainard leads the WAC overall with 62 total blocks while her 13 total blocks in WAC play is second... The 1.59 blocks per set ranks Brainard tied for sixth in the NCAA statistics.
Senior outside hitter Josselyn White (Smithfield, Utah) returned to action in the Aggies' road trip after missing the previous four and a half matches with illness, but is sixth in the WAC overall in kills per set (3.00) as well as seventh for points per set (3.54)... White has a .245 hitting percentage (72-21-208), adding 2.15 digs and 0.93 blocks per set.
Sophomore setter Paige Neves (Otto, Wyo.) is fourth in the WAC overall with 9.68 assists per set and is third in WAC only matches with 10.86 assists per set... Neves became the 12th Aggie volleyball player to reach the 1,000 career assists milestone three weeks ago in San Diego, Calif., and now with 1,242 assists, Neves is just 38 assists from tying for the No. 10 spot held by Mindi Jackson (1995-96).
Sophomore middle blocker Kaitlyn VanHoff (Draper, Utah) is second on the team and third in the WAC for blocks with 1.27 blocks per set, ranking third in the league with 49 total blocks... VanHoff adds 1.17 kills per set.
Sophomore libero Ashlan Rogers (Highland, Utah) is seventh in the WAC overall with 3.83 digs per set, but leads in WAC only matches with 6.29 digs per set... Rogers is second in the league overall in service aces with 0.44 per set and sixth in WAC only matches with 0.43 per set.
AGGIES SEVENTH IN BLOCKING IN NCAA STATS
With its 3.04 blocks per set team average, Utah State leads the WAC and is seventh in the NCAA statistics... Washington State leads the nation with 3.28 bps.
DUBOSE ONE FROM 100
USU head coach Grayson DuBose is one win from 100 career wins, as the seventh-year Aggie head coach has a 99-93 (.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.
UTAH STATE IN HOME CONFERENCE OPENERS
USU is 6-1 in WAC home openers, winning its last three in a row, with the lone loss coming in 2008... Utah State beat New Mexico State (3-0) in its first ever WAC home match in 2005, Fresno State (3-1) in 2006 and Boise State (3-0) in 2007, before losing to Fresno State (3-1) in 2008, but then beating San Jose State (3-0) in 2009, Fresno State (3-0) in 2010 and San Jose State (3-0) last season.
AGGIES AGAINST THE WEEKEND FOES
USU is a combined 18-20 against its weekend opponents... Thursday's visit by Seattle will be the Redhawks' first-ever visit to Logan and just the second all-time meeting between USU and SU, with the only other meeting coming in 2010, the fewest meetings for Utah State with any WAC foe... While the Aggies have only faced Seattle once, they have played Idaho 37 times, with UI leading the series, 20-17, the second-most of any other WAC opponent behind the 65 meetings with New Mexico State.
SEATTLE - USU is 1-0 against SU, with the only other match-up coming in 2010 at the Arizona State Sheraton Classic, where the Aggies won in five sets.
IDAHO - The Aggies are 17-20 all-time against the Vandals, including 9-7 at home... Idaho has won the last three meetings overall, including both match-ups last seasons, sweeping USU in Moscow and winning in five sets in Logan... USU's last win against UI was in Moscow during the 2010 season in four sets, while the Aggies have lost the last three meetings in Logan, last earning a home win over the Vandals during the 2008 season in five sets... USU and Idaho have played 37 times, the second-most of any other WAC opponent behind the 65 meetings with New Mexico State.
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... Neves now has 1,242 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 38 assists from tying for the No. 10 spot held by Mindi Jackson (1995-96).
WHITE RANKS 10TH ALL-TIME AT UTAH STATE IN ATTACKS
Senior outside hitter Josselyn White ranks 10th all-time at Utah State with 2,458 career attacks and is 227 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 685 kills, needing 178 to crack into the career kills list... White has 275 career total blocks, needing four to tie for the No. 10 spot on the USU career total blocks list, as well as totalling 25 solo blocks, needing 12 to tie for the No. 10 spot on the career solo block list and logging 250 career block assists, needing eight more to tie for 10.
Senior opposite side hitter Shay Sorensen has 659 kills, needing 204 to break into the career top 10 kills list as well as having a .201 career hitting percentage, needing to improve by .025 to tie for the No. 10 mark on the career hitting percentage list.
SCOUTING THE WEEKEND FOES
SEATTLE - The Redhawks are 6-6 overall and 1-1 in WAC play after opening their first year in the conference with a five-set loss to New Mexico State on Thursday, winning the first two sets before NMSU rallied to win the next three sets... Seattle bounced back to beat Denver in five sets Saturday, rallying to win the last two sets.
Senior outside hitter Kaytlyn Dill leads SU and is fourth in the WAC overall in kills per set (3.20) and also leads the conference in service aces in all matches (0.56 per set) as well as WAC only matches (1.10 per set)... Dill is 10th in the NCAA in aces per set... Fellow senior Karina Miastkowska has a team-best .200 attack percentage (89-44-225) while junior middle blocker Allison Farley leads the team with 0.78 blocks per set, but is ninth in WAC only matches with 1.10 blocks per set... Sophomore setter Jacquie Brice is fifth in the league in assists per set (9.17), ranking seven in conference only matches (8.90)... Junior defensive specialist Lane Beadle is 10th in the WAC overall in digs per set (3.15) and also 10th in WAC only matches in digs per set (3.90).
Shannon Ellis is in her ninth season as Seattle head coach, posting a 105-133 record... Ellis is currently on maternity leave, so assistant coach Teron Uy has been the Redhawks' acting head coach in Ellis' absence for all 12 matches so far this season.
IDAHO - The Vandals bring a 3-9 overall and 1-1 WAC ledger into this weekend and Idaho will play at San Jose State on Thursday prior to coming to Logan... UI opened league action by welcoming WAC newcomer Denver into the league with a sweep before losing in five to New Mexico State, rallying from down two sets to now by winning the third and fourth sets before falling in the fifth frame.
Junior outside hitter Allison Walker leads the Vandals and ranks second in the WAC in both kills per set (4.43) and points per set (4.93), adding 2.75 digs per set... Walker is 10th in the NCAA in kills per set as well as 21st in points per set... Sophomore middle blocker Alyssa Schultz leads the WAC in attack percentage at .363 (118-25-256) in all matches and also tops in conference only matches at .529 (23-5-34), and is fifth in the league with 1.14 blocks per set... Senior libero Janelle Chow is fifth in the WAC with 3.98 digs per set while senior setter Ryann Carter is sixth in the WAC with 9.14 assists per set.
Idaho head coach Debbie Buchanan is in her 13th season at the helm of the Vandals' program and has posted a 182-183 record.
Shay Sorensen TABBED WAC VOLLEYBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Utah State volleyball player Shay Sorensen has been named Western Athletic Conference Volleyball Player of the Week for the week of Sept. 10-16. This is the first-ever WAC Player of the Week honor for Sorensen.
A senior opposite side hitter from North Ogden, Utah, Sorensen averaged 4.30 kills on .296 hitting, 3.30 digs and 0.60 blocks per set in a pair of road wins at UTSA and Texas State. She posted a pair of double-doubles to lead Utah State to its first 2-0 start to WAC action since 2007. In Thursday's four-set win over UTSA, Sorensen logged 15 kills and 11 digs, adding a pair of blocks and a service ace. In Saturday's sweep at Texas State, she tallied a match-high 15 kills on a season-high .353 hitting to go with 12 digs and two blocks.
Sorensen is second in WAC only matches in kills per set (4.29) and points per set (4.71), ranking sixth overall in the WAC in points per set (3.55), as well as ninth in WAC only matches in attack percentage (.296/30-9-70).
This is the first WAC Player of the Week honor for a USU vollleyball player since Liz McArthur earned the accolade last season on Oct. 17.
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.
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 - MB
Utah 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
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.
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