LOGAN, Utah \u2013\u00a0After several injuries earlier in the week, Utah State volleyball needed several new faces to step up against Fresno State on Thursday afternoon at the Wayne Estes Center.<\/p>\n
And step up, they did.<\/p>\n
Senior setter Olivia Tukuafu<\/a> recorded career highs in assists, kills and blocks while junior middle blocker Solia Angilau<\/a> made her Aggie debut and tied for the team lead with eight blocks to help USU to a 3-1 (25-11, 25-16, 23-25, 25-21) victory over the Bulldogs. Utah State finished with 16 blocks and held Fresno State to an .080 hitting percentage, both team-best marks since 2023.<\/p>\n Set One Set Two Set Three Set Four Quick Notes
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\nThe Aggies were dominant early, posting separate unanswered point streaks of five, three and four points through the first half of the opening set to take a 16-6 lead. USU totaled five blocks during the stretch with graduate middle blocker Sophie Scott<\/a> leading the way with three while each of Angilau, Tukuafu and junior outside hitter Sami Blackett<\/a> each added a pair of blocks. The offense, meanwhile, was spread out evenly as five Aggies recorded two kills in the first set without any climbing to three. Utah State’s lead ballooned further as the team closed out the frame on a 6-1 run. Angilau added her pair of kills in the stretch run while Blackett added an ace to help USU close out a 25-11 victory, their largest margin of victory in a set this season.<\/p>\n
\nUtah State maintained momentum to open the third set, going on a 8-1 run out of the gates. Scott added a pair of blocks, including one solo, plus a kill during the hot start to help USU again take control. The Bulldogs responded with a 7-2 stretch to trim the lead to two points before USU answered back with a 6-1 burst. Scott and junior outside hitter Olivia Ruy<\/a> twice teamed up for blocks during the run as USU re-extended its advantage. No Bulldog rally would follow as Utah State scored the final three points of the set on single kills from sophomore outside hitter Addy Cook<\/a>, Blackett and Tukuafu to take a 25-16 victory. Scott played a part on all five of USU’s blocks in the frame while Blackett posted a team-high five kills, one ahead of both Ruy and Cook.<\/p>\n
\nUSU took an early lead off of a 4-0 run capped by back-to-back aces from sophomore libero\/defensive specialist Lily LaFlesch<\/a>, but Fresno State used an 11-4 stretch to take their first sizable lead of the match. After FS led by as many as five, USU scored three-straight points with Ruy supplying a kill and a block alongside Angilau to help the Aggies cut into the deficit. Utah State posted another 3-0 run late with kills from junior outside hitter Ava Nakai<\/a>, Blackett and Scott to tie the set at 23 before the Bulldogs scored back-to-back points to take a 25-23 win and force the match to a fourth set.<\/p>\n
\nUsing a 5-1 run early in the frame, Fresno State led for much of the first half of the fourth set. Trailing by three points near the midway point, however, Utah State responded with a 5-0 burst. Angilau and Blackett posted back-to-back blocks while Ruy added a pair of kills during the tide-turning stretch. The Bulldogs cut the lead down to one point on multiple occasions, twice being turned away by Nakai kills and once by another block from Angilau and Blackett, the pair’s third block together during the set. USU would then close out the set and the match with a late 4-1 run featuring a pair of Blackett kills to secure a 25-21 victory.<\/p>\n
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\n\tUtah State held the Bulldogs to an .080 hitting percentage, the lowest mark allowed by the Aggies since holding Nevada to an .065 mark in November of 2023.
\n\tThe Aggies’ 16 blocks as a team are the most since recording 17 blocks at Weber State in August of 2023.
\n\tTukuafu finished with 42 assists, two blocks and six kills on a .625 hitting percentage, all career highs. She also added two aces and 11 digs to record her first double-double of the season and the second of her career.
\n\tLaFlesch led the Aggies with a career-high-tying 20 digs, her third time this season finishing with 20 digs, and added five assists and two aces.
\n\tBlackett led the offense with 16 kills, adding seven digs, an ace and a season-high six blocks.\u00a0
\n\tRuy added 12 kills alongside a season-high five digs and set a new career high with six blocks.\u00a0
\n\tScott and Angilau each finished with eight blocks for the match. Scott added six kills and a dig while Angilau ended with four kills plus two digs.
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\nThe Aggies (3-10, 2-1 Pac-12) welcome Pac-12 preseason favorite Colorado State to the Wayne Estes Center on Saturday, Oct. 3, at noon.<\/p>\n