USU Volleyball Looking for Season Sweep at Wyoming on Thursday

Utah State [University] women’s volleyball will be looking for its second consecutive season sweep against the Wyoming Cowgirls when the teams meet at the UniWyo Sports Complex in Laramie Thursday night [Oct. 23] at 7 p.m. The Aggies took the first meeting this season, 3-2, at Kirby Court at the Wayne Estes Center in Logan Sept. 27.

USU will enter the match 9-9 overall on the year, including a 5-3 mark in the Mountain West, and victors of four of its last five matches. The run was made up in part by a pair of three-set conference sweeps over Nevada and Fresno State.

Senior outside Rachel Orr leads USU and ranks fifth in the MW with 3.36 kills per set, adding a .176 hitting percentage (250-120-737), in addition to posting 2.84 digs and 0.65 blocks per set. Additionally, Orr is fourth in the league in points per set (3.96). She is also first in the MW in double-doubles with ten.

Senior middle Kaitlyn VanHoff is second on the team and 16th in the MW in kills with 2.77 per set, posting a .335 attack percentage (205-65-418) which ranks seventh in the MW, while also ranking fifth in the league in blocks with 1.38 per set. VanHoff is also seventh in the MW in points per set (3.71).

Senior setter Paige Neves distributes 9.81 assists per set to rank sixth in the MW, adding 2.50 digs and 0.74 blocks per set. Neves also leads the team with a .381 attack percentage (55-10-118) among players with 20 or more kills.

Junior opposite Elle Brainard leads USU, the MW and is fourth in the nation in blocking with 1.62 bps, adding 1.36 kills per set. Brainard has 89 total blocks (six solo, 72 assists), bolstered by 11 total blocks in the Oregon State match.

The University of Wyoming is currently 16-5 overall and 5-3 in the Mountain West and riding a three-match winning streak.

The Cowgirls are led offensively by Bridget Shanahan with 283 kills, averaging 3.72 kills per set. The number is second in the Mountain West this season. She is followed by Laura Beach with 190 kills and an average of 2.50 per set. Beach is tops on the team and No. 2 in the MW in hitting percentage, hitting .419 with 40 errors on 358 attempts. Courtney Chacon directs the offense with 828 assists on the year, averaging 10.89 per set, fourth-best in the MW.

Defensively, Lily Austin leads the team with 205 digs, averaging 2.70 per set. Allison Waldvogel leads the team with 3.29 digs per set, but trails over with 171 digs this season. Erin Kirby paces the Cowgirls in blocking, totaling 99 this season (sixth-best in the MW), including seven solos and 92 assists.

Head coach Chad Callihan is in his second year at the helm of the Cowgirl program, compiling an overall mark of 37-18 over that span.

Utah State leads the all-time series against the University of Wyoming, 16-13. The Aggies are currently riding a five-match winning streak against the Cowgirls.

Following the match with Wyoming, Utah State will travel to Fort Collins, Colo. to face the No. 6 Colorado State Rams Saturday at noon.

Utah State volleyball season and single-match tickets are available by contacting the USU Ticket Office at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum during its office hours 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday or by phone by calling 1-888-USTATE-1 or (435) 797-0305. Season tickets can also be purchased online at www.UtahStateAggies.com, the official website of USU Athletics and clicking on the "Ticket Office" tab.

Fans can also follow the Aggie volleyball program on Twitter, on Facebook or on Instagram. Aggie fans can also follow the Utah State athletic program on Twitter, on Facebook at Utah State University Athletics or on Instagram.

Additional Aggie sports news is available at the Athletics website.