Utah State hosts its 2015 home opener on Tuesday when the Aggies welcome Utah to Kirby Court at the Wayne Estes Center at 7 p.m., for a White Out match. The contest will be the 70th time the teams have faced on the volleyball court, representing the longest rivalry in USU volleyball history.
"These in-state matches are always special," head coach Grayson DuBose said. "Records and conference affiliations kind of go out the window when you match up on the court. You just go out and play and there is nothing else like it."
Utah State trails Utah, 44-25, in the all-time series and has lost each of the last three matches. The streak includes a 3-0 defeat last year in Logan, where Kaylie Kamalu recorded a career-high 14 kills against the Utes, but the Aggies only hit .159 (36-19-107) during the night as Utah hit .311 (45-12-106) on Sept. 17, 2014.
USU enters the match on Tuesday night with an overall mark of 1-2 after closing out the Texas Tech Fall Invitational with a 3-0 victory over Louisiana-Lafayette. Utah State opened the tournament with losses to Texas Tech (3-0) and Houston (3-1) before picking up the win on the final day against the Ragin' Cajuns.
Kamalu has paced the Aggie attack so far this season with 32 kills, averaging 3.20 per set, and also leads the team with six service aces. Freshman middle Lauren O'Brien has been the most efficient attacker, hitting .417 with 19 kills on 36 attempts and only four errors. Sophomore middle Carly Lenzen is just behind, hitting .389 with 15 kills on 36 attempts and only one error. Junior setter Erica Moscoso has directed the Utah State attack, totaling 84 assists and averaging 8.40 per set.
Kamalu is also among the leaders defensively with 30 digs, second most on the team behind junior libero Hannah Gleason's 37. O'Brien has paced the Utah State block with 11 on the year, averaging 1.10 per set.
As a team, Utah State has hit .155 with 107 kills on 341 attempts and 54 errors. Opponents have hit .180 with 126 kills on 350 attempts and 63 errors.
Utah enters the match on Tuesday night with an overall mark of 2-1 after posting victories over Idaho State (3-1) and CS Northridge (3-0) during the Utah Classic. The Utes suffered their only defeat of the tournament to Lipscomb, 3-1.
Utah is led offensively by sophomore outside Adora Anae with 58 kills, averaging 5.27 per set, and hitting .331 (58-15-130). She is followed by sophomore outside Eliza Katoa with 37 kills, averaging 3.70 per set, and hitting .307 (37-10-88). As a team, Utah has hit .302 this season, recording 167 kills (15.18 per set) on 398 attempts with 47 errors. The Utes run a 6-2 system with senior Kendall Cygan and redshirt freshman Jessie Jorgensen sharing time at setter and totaling 77 and 60 assists, respectively.
Junior libero Tess Sutton leads Utah defensively with 45 digs this season, averaging 4.50 per set with senior middle Brenna DeYoung pacing the Utah block with 11, averaging 1.22 per set. Opponents have hit .192 against the Utes, totaling 142 kills (12.91 per set) on 411 attempts with 63 errors.
Kyle Cottam is the Assistant Athletic Director for Media Relations at Utah State University.