Fresno State women’s volleyball will play for the Mountain West Championship after pulling off an upset victory against No. 1 seed Utah State in the tournament semifinals on Thursday, Nov. 23.
Utah State (24-6) was on a 14-match winning streak and only lost one conference match all season before the tournament, but that didn’t stop the Bulldogs (18-13) from overcoming the odds.
The Bulldogs entered the match motivated after defeating Boise State in three sets, and caught the Aggies off guard in the first set, managing to build a 12-5 lead.
The regular season champions caught up near the end to make it close, but the Bulldogs regained control, taking the first set 26-24.
The Aggies regained their composure and dominated the second set to win it 25-17.
However, losing the second set did not slow down the Bulldogs’ momentum.
Head Coach Leisa Rosen was active on the sideline, telling her players about adjustments on the court, keeping them motivated on every single point throughout the entire match.
Each point was fought to the teeth as the match was slowed down by a total of five challenges from both teams, with neither wanting to give the other an edge.
The ‘Dogs recaptured the lead and won the third set 25-18.
In the fourth set, Fresno State was leading 20-13, and Utah State won seven points in a row to catch up, but the Bulldogs managed to hold on to take the match 25-21.
Middle blocker Addison Haluska was Fresno State’s key player, leading the team to victory on offense with 18 kills and assisting with five blocks on defense.
Kasey Purry was the Bulldogs’ leading blocker with eight.
The ‘Dogs defended close to the net and earned a total of 20 blocks.
Libero and Mountain West Freshman of the Year Dionii Fraga along with setter Brooke Cowie made most of the saves to keep the ball in play, totaling a combined 27 digs.
Next up for the ‘Dogs is a chance to win the program’s first-ever Mountain West Championship when they take on Colorado State on Friday, Nov. 24.
If Fresno State wins the title, the ‘Dogs will also secure a spot in the NCAA tournament. First serve is at 4 p.m.
