Utah State volleyball will host San Diego State on Kirby Court at the Wayne Estes Center on Thursday, Sept. 21, in the Mountain West opener for both schools. The match will be the annual “White Out” match, where the first 200 fans to the Estes Center will receive a free white tank top.
Utah State enters the match as winners of four of its last five contests, including in-state victories over Weber State, 3-0, and Southern Utah, 3-1. The Aggies are led offensively by senior outside Lauren Anderson with 176 kills, averaging 4.09 per set and hitting .262 (176-61-439), best among USU outside hitters. She is followed by senior opposite Kayla DeCoursey with 107 kills, averaging 2.49 per set. During the recent five-match run, DeCoursey has increased that total to 3.00 kills per set and recorded a career-high-tying 17 kills at Southern Utah. Overall, Utah State is hitting .222 (556-210-1,557) on the year and .231 (243-97-631) in the last five.
Junior middle Lauren O’Brien has been the most efficient hitter for the Aggies in the last five matches, hitting.404 (27-6-52), and she ranks fourth in the Mountain West with an overall hitting percentage of .379 (69-16-140) on the year. Fellow middle Carly Lenzen, a senior from Cave Creek, Arizona, leads the Utah State block with 49, and junior libero Tasia Taylor leads the back row with 216 digs, averaging 5.02 per set, second in the Mountain West.
Redshirt freshman Jaysa Funk has directed the USU attack during the last nine matches, totaling 364 assists and averaging 10.71 per set, second in the Mountain West. Funk is also tied for the team lead in double-doubles during the year, matching Anderson’s five.
San Diego State is currently 6-7 on the year and led offensively by junior middle Deja Harris with 145 kills, averaging 3.09 per set and hitting .409 (145-40-257), third in the Mountain West. Harris also paces the Aztecs at the net, totaling 55 blocks and averaging 1.17 per set, eighth in the Mountain West.
Overall, San Diego State is hitting .223 (622-274-1,558) this season. Junior Indigo Thompson and freshman Gabi Peoples have shared the setting duties for SDSU this season, totaling 231 and 287 assists and averaging 7.45 and 7.18 assists per set, respectively. Senior libero Devyn Pritchard leads the Aztec back row with 174 digs, averaging 3.78 per set.
Fans can follow the match on Thursday night via live stats and live video stream links online.
Kyle Cottam is the Assistant Athletic Director for Media Relations at Utah State University.