Utah State Volleyball Earns NCAA Tournament Bid, Faces Tennessee in First Round
Utah State University’s volleyball team is poised for a challenging first-round matchup against seventh-seeded Tennessee in the NCAA Tournament on December 4th at 4:30 p.m. (MST) in Tempe, Arizona. This marks the Aggies’ seventh appearance in the national tournament and their third in the last four seasons, demonstrating a sustained period of success for the program.
Dominant Season Culminates in Automatic Bid
The Aggies secured their place in the tournament with an automatic bid, earned after a remarkable season capped by a championship victory at the Mountain West Tournament. On Saturday, Utah State swept Colorado State to claim the title, completing an undefeated run through conference play. This achievement makes USU only the second team in Mountain West history to achieve both an undefeated league record and a conference tournament win in the same season.
Key Players Shine in Championship Run
Four Aggies earned recognition for their outstanding performance throughout the Mountain West Tournament. Andrea Simovski, a sophomore outside hitter, and Mara Štiglic, also a sophomore outside hitter, were named to the all-tournament team. Joining them were sophomore opposite side hitter Loryn Helgesen and sophomore setter Kaylie Kofe. Simovski’s exceptional play earned her tournament MVP honors, highlighted by back-to-back double-doubles, totaling 37 kills with a .366 hitting percentage and a team-high 28 digs.
Riding a Historic Winning Streak
Utah State enters the NCAA Tournament with an impressive 23-7 overall record and a remarkable 21-match winning streak. This streak is currently tied for the third-longest active streak in the nation and stands as the third-longest in program history. Only a 23-game streak from the team’s 1978 national title season and a program-record 26-game streak in 1978 surpass the current run.
All-Mountain West Recognition
The accolades continued as five Aggies received All-Mountain West recognition. Kaylie Kofe was named the Mountain West Player of the Year, leading the conference and ranking third nationally with 11.10 assists per set. She is the only player in the nation to record three matches with 60 or more assists. Loryn Helgesen, Mara Štiglic, and senior middle blocker Tierney Barlow were also named to the All-MW team, while Andrea Simovski received honorable mention. Barlow currently leads the Mountain West and ranks fourth in the nation with a .444 hitting percentage, exceeding the existing program record of .375 set in 1997.
Aggies Poised to Break Program Records
Utah State’s offensive performance this season has been exceptional, currently hitting .274. This mark is on pace to surpass the current program record of .238 set in 2016. The team has maintained a consistent level of success, hitting over .250 in their last 11 matches.
Fans can follow the Aggie volleyball program on Twitter, @USUVolleyball, on Facebook at /USUVolleyball or on Instagram, @usuvolleyball. Aggie fans can also follow the Utah State athletic program on Twitter, @USUAthletics, Facebook at /USUAthletics and on Instagram, @USUAthletics.
