LOGAN — Coming off a disappointing 2009 season that saw Utah State finish in seventh place in the Western Athletic Conference women's volleyball race with a 6-10 league mark, fifth-year head coach Grayson DuBose is cautiously optimistic that his 2010 squad will fare much better than it did a year ago.
One of the main reasons DuBose is so excited about the upcoming season is the fact that Utah State returns virtually its entire roster from last year's team that produced a 15-14 overall record, as the Aggies welcome back all six of its starters from 2009, including their libero, to go along with three other letter-winners.
With all of that experience returning, Utah State is expected to be one of the top teams in the WAC in 2010, as the leagues' coaches picked the Aggies to finish fourth in the conference.
"I think there is a greater sense of urgency, especially among our four seniors, and they want to end their college careers on a high note," said DuBose. "The experience is there; they feel comfortable with each other and have played in a lot of matches together."
Leading the way for Utah State in 2010 will be a quartet of seniors in middle blockers Katie Astle and Shantell Durrant, setter Chelsea Fowles and libero Christine Morrill, along with two outstanding juniors in opposite-side hitter Emily Kortsen and outside hitter Liz McArthur.
Astle, Fowles and Morrill all earned second-team all-WAC honors as sophomores in 2008, while Kortsen was named to the WAC's all-freshman team that year. McArthur was the lone Aggie to receive postseason honors last year, as she was named to the league's second-team, while Durrant finished her junior year ranking among the top 10 in the WAC in hitting percentage and blocks.
Joining Utah State's veterans in the starting lineup will be sophomore outside hitter Josselyn White, who gained valuable experience last year as a true freshman, playing in 27 matches and 84 sets.
Three other quality players return for USU in sophomores Laurel Bodily (libero), Kassi Hargrove (setter) and Shay Sorensen (opposite-side hitter), a trio that combined to play in 144 sets a year ago.
Joining Utah State's 10 returnees will be three incoming freshmen in opposite-side hitter Jamaica Alisa, outside hitter Tumua Etimani and setter Paige Neves.
Once again, Utah State's schedule will be very challenging, as it plays 29 matches during the season, including four against in-state opponents.
Of those four match-ups against in-state teams, two will be at home, as the Aggies host Weber State on Aug. 31 and Utah Valley on Sept. 17 in its own Utah State Invitational. In all, Utah State will play 12 matches at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum, a venue where it has gone 81-36 (.692) over the last 11 seasons.
"We are looking forward to the season as a staff and a team," said DuBose. "We have put together a competitive schedule and it will challenge our team as we prepare for WAC play.
"We are excited that Gossner Foods is helping us host a tournament, which will allow us to play in front of our great fans."
Utah State will begin its 2010 season in a tournament hosted by Utah this weekend of August and play UC Davis and the host Utes before returning home to face Weber State in its home opener on Aug. 31. USU will then play in consecutive tournaments at Arizona State and Montana before playing its second in-state match of the season at BYU on Sept. 14. USU will then host Loyola Marymount, UC Riverside and Utah Valley in its first Utah State Invitational sponsored by Gossner Foods on Sept. 17-18.
Utah State will begin WAC play on the road against defending league champion Hawai'i on Sept. 23 and host Fresno State and San Jose State in its first home conference matches of the year on Sept. 30 and Oct. 2. USU will also host Louisiana Tech, New Mexico State and Hawai'i during a five-day stretch in the middle of October, followed by three more home matches in a row in early November as it hosts Boise State and Idaho, followed by its final home match of the year against Nevada on Nov. 12.
Utah State will also have two nationally televised matches in 2010, as ESPNU will broadcast the Aggies' match at Idaho on Oct. 6 and its matchup at home against Hawai'i on Oct. 25.
The 2010 WAC Tournament will once again be held at the Orleans Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nev., on Nov. 22-24, and the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament will be the first weekend in December.