BACK IN ACTION
Utah State volleyball kicks off its 2024 season this week at the Utah Classic in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Aggies will first take the court on Friday, Aug. 30, at 4:30 p.m. (MT) against Green Bay, before playing tournament-host Utah on Saturday, Aug. 31, at 5 p.m. (MT). USU's weekend will conclude against UTEP on Sunday, Sept. 1, at 10 a.m. (MT). All three matches will be played at the Jon M. Huntsman Center.
FOLLOW ALONG
All three matches will be televised on ESPN+. Live stats will also be provided via StatBroadcast. Links to all options will be posted on the team's social media pages and listed on the Utah State Athletics website.
A YEAR TO REMEMBER
In 2023, Utah State won its third-straight Mountain West title as the Aggies became the outright MW regular season champions after finishing league play 17-1, the most conference wins in program history. USU earned its first-ever at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, marking its second-straight and sixth-ever appearance at the Tournament.
TAKING STOCK OF THE CONFERENCE
The Aggies were picked to finish second in the Mountain West this season as voted in the MW preseason coaches poll. Utah State received a total of 84 points and two first-place votes in the poll, finishing behind Colorado State's 98 points and eight first-place votes. Boise State, Fresno State and UNLV rounded out the top-five of the poll, with UNLV also receiving the final first-place vote.
AGGIES VS. EVERYONE
Friday's season-opener will mark the first-ever matchup between Utah State and Green Bay. The Aggies have only faced off against a current Horizon League member once before, defeating Robert Morris on a neutral court in 2009, 3-0.
In contrast, Utah is USU's most-played opponent in program history as the two sides will face off for the 77th time on Saturday. The Utes lead the overall series, 48-26, and have won each of the past three meetings in SLC. Utah had won seven consecutive games in the series before Utah State snapped the skid with a 3-0 win in Logan last season.
Lastly, USU will reacquaint with UTEP for the first time since 2002. Utah State is undefeated against the Roadrunners, having won each of the first 10 contests in the series.
BRING ON THE ACCOLADES
Utah State was represented by a pair of athletes on the all-MW preseason team. Senior Adna Mehmedovic and incoming juinor transfer Tierney Barlow each earned the honor after both were named to the all-MW team in 2023. Mehmedovic was named to the all-MW team in 2023 after totaling 295 kills, averaging 2.68 per set, while adding 103 blocks, 69 digs and 10 assists. She was named the MW Offensive Player of the Week for the week ending Oct. 30 after posting back-to-back totals of 14 kills in wins over Colorado State and Wyoming, hitting .444 (28-4-54) during the two matches. Barlow was named all-Mountain West in 2023 while playing at Wyoming, recording 324 kills, averaging 2.97 per set, and added 124 total blocks, averaging 1.14 per set. She also had 77 digs, 31 service aces and six assists during the season. Barlow was also named the MW Freshman of the Year in 2022, also earning honorable mention all-MW the same season. Head coach Rob Neilson was also named the MW Coach of the Year in 2023, his second time receiving the honor after also earning the award in 2021.
YOUTH MOVEMENT
Utah State boasts one of the youngest rosters in the country this season as the Aggies welcome in 11 true freshmen to the team in 2024. USU's average age entering the season is under 20 (19.6).
In total, the Aggies bring in 13 newcomers to the 2024 roster and return only four letterwinners in Kelsey Watson, Adna Mehmedovic, Kaylie Ray and Kendel Hone. Rachel Reed also returns after redshirting the 2023 campgain.
AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN
Utah State won the outright Mountain West regular season title in 2023, making it three-straight MW championships under head coach Rob Neilson. The Aggies also shared the MW regular season title in 2021 before winning the MW tournament in 2022. USU has won eight regular season conference titles in program history, including the WAC in 2012 and five consecutive titles in the Intermountain Athletic Conference from 1977 through 1981.
AGGIES IN THE POLLS
The Aggies have received votes in the first AVCA coaches poll of 2024, clocking in at 44th in the nation with nine total votes. The Aggies also received votes in the poll for the final five weeks of the regular season in 2023. Utah State has not been ranked in the AVCA coaches poll since 2001.
The Aggies will take on three teams ranked in the preseason poll in Purdue (8th), BYU (16th) and USC (23rd). A futher two opponents are receiving votes in LMU and Colorado State.
KILLER QUEEN KELSEY
Senior middle blocker Kelsey Watson became the first Aggie to ever hit 100 percent while logging at least 10 kills in the 2023 regular season finale at Nevada. She now holds the school hitting percentage record for between 10-14 attempts as she was a perfect 10-for-10 against the Wolf Pack.
WELCOME TO CLUB ESTES
Utah State has won 31 of its last 35 matches at home and is 35-5 in the last 40 matches played in Logan. The Aggies played in front of three sold-out crowds of 1,488 fans last season, first doing so against Utah on Aug. 30, 2023, to register the program's first sellout since 2015. USU then reached capacity against then-No. 12 BYU (Sept. 16) and San José State (Nov.9). Last year was the first season in which USU sold out the Estes on multiple occasions.
FROM MANAGER TO UNIFORM
Utah State freshman defensive specialist Kendel Hone was part of the 2022 Utah State volleyball team as a manager before officially joining the roster before the 2023 season.
WELL TRAVELED
Utah State boasts four international players on its 2024 roster, all freshmen, in Andrea Simovski (Belgrade, Serbia), Jagoda Bialek (Opole, Poland), Kate Lijić (Split, Croatia) and Mara Štiglić (Rijeka, Croatia).
QUICK HITTERS
• Utah State and UTEP were formerly members of the IAIAW and Intermountain Athletic Conferences and played a total of six conference matches from 1976-81.
• UTEP's roster features a pair of players from Belgrade, Serbia, the same hometown as USU's Andrea Simovski, in Ema Uskokovic and Sara Pustahija.
• This is the second consecutive season that USU will begin play on the road. Utah State is 2-2 in season-openers under Rob Neilson with home wins over North Dakota and Cal Poly in 2021 and 2022, respectively. The Aggies fell to Wyoming at home to begin the COVID-shortened 2020 season and lost at Nebraska in the season-opener last year.
• Utah State is currently on a 14-match regular season winning streak, closing out the 2023 regular season with 14 consecutive Mountain West victories before falling in the MW Tournament and the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.
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