Bryan Cole / The Collegian

After losing to Bulldogs last month, Aggies return the favor

Fresno State overcame a slow start in set one, and then battled Utah State to force a fifth set, but the the Aggies came away with the victory Saturday night at the Save Mart Center.

Utah State won the match 3-2, avenging a home loss to the Bulldogs on Sept. 25.

“It definitely was a tough loss,â€Â middle hitter Brianna Clarke said. “It’s just a crusher. Momentum and intensity was definitely the difference.â€Â

The loss Saturday night dropped the Bulldogs to 2-7 in conference play, and an overall record of 5-13.

“The two teams battled it out,â€Â coach Lauren Netherby-Sewell said. “We’ve been in a few five-set
matches this year, one of them was against Utah State.â€Â

The Aggies came out strong in set one when they led by as many as 13 points and never looked back, winning the first set 25-14.

“Starting the way we did was a momentum changer,â€Â said junior Kelly Leonardo, one of the leaders in blocks and kills for the game.

“In Utah, we pretty much started the same way and we came back. We weren’t as consistent as we were tonight. We didn’t come out as strong as they came out. They wanted it more than we did.â€Â

In set two, the Bulldogs turned the tables and made their set-one performance look like an
afterthought.

Fresno State overcame a 5-2 deficit with a 13-4 run to take a 15-9 lead. Kills by Clarke, Lacey Gera, Lauren Berger and Baylee Platt led to the 25-18, set-two win.

“I knew they would come back fine from that first set,â€Â Netherby-Sewell said.

Utah State then came out with a hard-fought, 25-21 win in set three, a set in which the Bulldogs started out with a 3-0 lead. Fresno State came back with a 25-22 victory in set four to force a fifth and deciding game.

“We definitely rebounded and we got better in the second through fifth games,â€Â said setter Allanah Munson, who led the way with assists once again for her team.

“I think if we came out stronger [in set one], the outcome probably would’ve been different.â€Â

Bryan Cole / The Collegian

Netherby-Sewell pointed out that her team has had a tendency to start out slow in front of the home crowd this year.

“These players still have a hard time coming out at home. I don’t know what it is because I haven’t been with them for very long,â€Â Netherby-Sewell said. “They just need to relax. We always put ourselves in a tough position,â€Â Munson said.

One of the toughest setbacks for the Bulldogs was defensive play, which has been a strength for Fresno State all season long. Utah State took advantage of defensive miscues the Bulldogs had.

“Our defense had some lapses which I was a little surprised about,â€Â Netherby-Sewell said. “If our defense would’ve been intact, we would’ve pulled out a win.â€Â

Fresno State has now lost its last six games.

The victory at Utah State was the last time the Bulldogs won a volleyball match this year.

Hawaii is the next opponent for the volleyball team, which will be next Sunday afternoon in Honolulu.

“We’re not focused on who our opponent is,â€Â Leonardo said. “We’re focused on getting better every day. It’s about learning and improving as a team.â€Â