Sports
11 Lobos Lace Up for NCAA Outdoor Championships – University of New Mexico Lobos athletics
“CHAMPIONS WEAR TURQUOISE”
It was 2011 when UNM first donned turquoise at NCAA Championships, an idea hatched by former UNM Head Coach Joe Franklin at the time. In their first iteration, the uniforms were originally white and dip-dyed by hand — three times, to be exact— in order to reach the proper turquoise color. The Lobos didn’t get officially printed turquoise uniforms for nationals until after they won their first women’s NCAA team Championship in 2015.

More than a decade later, wearing turquoise has become both a privilege and a tradition that honors the state of New Mexico that the Lobos represent. Only UNM athletes that reach the NCAA Championship race in cross country or qualify for NCAA Indoor or Outdoor Championships wear turquoise — the color is meant to be earned and worn with pride.
THE RISE OF HABTOM SAMUEL
Read more about the unrelenting will — and obstacle-laden journey — that has taken sophomore Habtom Samuel to new heights ahead of his second NCAA Outdoor Championship appearance.
GAUSON INKS FIVE-YEAR EXTENSION AFTER BIG SECOND YEAR
University of New Mexico Vice President/Director of Athletics Fernando Lovo has announced that Head Cross Country/Track & Field Coach Darren Gauson has received a five-year contract that will keep Gauson at the helm of UNM’s nationally ranked programs through the 2029-30 season.
“Darren has elevated every aspect of our program,” said Lovo. “In just two years, he’s built a championship culture and a team that consistently performs on the national stage. His leadership, vision, and ability to develop talent are exactly what we look for. Securing Coach Gauson was a top priority. He embodies what we’re about: excellence and championships.”
Gauson in just two seasons at UNM has won five Mountain West Coach of the Year Awards, being named Men’s Cross Country Coach of the Year in both 2023 and 2024, Women’s Cross Country Coach of the Year in 2024 and both Women’s Indoor and Women’s Outdoor Coach of the Year in 2025. In that span, his teams have won five Mountain West titles, four of which have come this year.
That included UNM’s first Mountain West title in women’s outdoor track and field, a win which clinched the first sweep of all three women’s titles in UNM history.
“I am very appreciative of President Stokes, the Board of Regents, and Athletic Director Fernando Lovo for their amazing support of Lobo Cross Country and Track & Field,” said Gauson. “Sustained excellence is only possible when there is clear alignment and strong support—qualities that are firmly in place at the University of New Mexico. It is a tremendous honor to serve this program and I am eager to bring future championships to our great state. I would also like to extend my sincere thanks to Amy Beggin and my dedicated staff for their invaluable contributions. I look forward to continuing to build championship-caliber teams alongside them.”
In his two seasons with UNM, Gauson has coached eight All-Americans in cross country including three runner-up finishes, along with 11 All-Americans in indoor and outdoor track and field to go with one national champion and one runner-up. That number will likely increase as UNM heads to the NCAA Outdoor National Championships next week. UNM qualified 11 student-athletes into the field, second only to Harvard among non-P4 institutions, and tied for the second-most all-time at UNM. UNM ranks tied for 28th among the 68 Power-4 conference schools in terms of total qualifying student-athletes.
The 11 qualifiers came after sending a whopping 27 to the NCAA West Regionals, up from 12 a year ago. In the 2024-25 academic year alone, New Mexico athletes set 22 new program records with 58 performances that rank among the Top 10 in program history – among them, eight performances ranked among the Top 5 in collegiate history.
In 2024-25, the Lobo cross country teams both finished in the national Top 10 for the first time in school history, with the women’s team finishing seventh and the men’s team finishing ninth. In both the men’s and women’s races, UNM had the national runner-up, including a miraculous finish by Habtom Samuel, who ran much of the race in Wisconsin on a frozen track with just one shoe after losing it halfway through the race.
UNM’s men’s point total of 272 in that 2024 race was the lowest in program history.
The Lobos’ sweep of the men’s and women’s cross country titles were the first for UNM – and in the Mountain West – since 2014. UNM’s Pamela Kosgei was a finalist for the Honda Sports Award, recognizing the best student-athlete in cross country. At different points this season, Kosgei, Habtom Samuel and Ishmael Kipkurui have all been named to the Bowerman Watch List, awarded to the top track & field athlete in the country.
LOBO TRIO RANKED AMONG TOP 25 NCAA TRACK STARS
In NCAA Track & Field’s Top 25 D-I Both-Genders All-Events rankings released three weeks ago from Stan Becton, Habtom Samuel (No. 5), Ishmael Kipkurui (No. 6) and Pamela Kosgei (No. 8) all cracked the Top 10.
LOBOS VS. THE WORLD
Entering this week, the Lobos have seen three different athletes post world-leading marks in three events – Pamela Kosgei (9:15.63) and Matthew Kosgei (8:22.13) led the world in women’s and men’s steeplechase, with Ishmael Kipkurui’s 26:50.21 NCAA-record performance at Sound Running’s THE TEN leading the world in the men’s 10,000m. Behind Kipkurui, Habtom Samuel’s 26:51.06 clocking at THE TEN – the No. 2 performance in NCAA history – also ranked No. 2 in the world.
HANNA KIESS KEEPS CLIMBING
400 hurdler Hanna Kiess – a walk-on who joined the team ahead of last indoor season – has posted a new personal best in eight of her last 10 races dating back to her first outdoor season in 2024, climbing up the UNM all-time list in the process.
In her very first 400 meter Hurdle race of the season she clipped off a 59.50 which moved her up to fourth-fastest all-time at UNM– she followed two weeks later with another PB (59.29) and the next day grabbed another PB (58.73) at two different meets at Long Beach State. That performance moved her to #3 all-time at UNM before another PB (58.40) that moved her up to #2 all-time. In MW prelims, she easily advanced to the final with a 59.27 – still the ninth-fastest time in Lobo history. In the five-decade history of Lobo women’s track (1975-present) there had only been seven athletes who ever dipped under the 60.00 threshold in the 400 meter Hurdles – of those seven, one was her coach, Kyra Mohns.
In the final, Kiess produced yet another stunning improvement, holding off a Colorado State athlete down the stretch to finish as runner-up with a 58.03 performance that moved her up to No. 30 in the West Region and ensured she’ll get to race at least once more this year in addition to running a leg of the women’s 4x400m relay.
That 58.03 time broke a UNM record held by Shannon Vessup (58.10) that had stood untouched since 1984 and Kiess improved on it further at NCAA West Regional Prelims, becoming the first Lobo woman to run below 58 seconds with a 57.70 personal best in College Station. Less than two hours later, she ran the fastest 4x400m relay leg of her career to help UNM’s relay advance to Eugene.
JUDY RONO’S STOCK IS RISING
Judy Rono now owns the fastest time in UNM history in the 1,500m (4:09.07) after taking more than two seconds off her previous best (4:11.45) from Bryan Clay to advance on time. Rono and the previous 1,500m program record holder Abbe Goldstein are the only Lobo women to run below 4:12 in school history. Rono is now a two-time MW Champion in the 800m, winning gold in both indoor and outdoor in her first collegiate season.
Rono improved on her season best as she took home MW gold in the 800m in Clovis, clocking a 2:03.91 time that stands as the second-fastest 800m in program history and fastest by a Lobo woman since 1976 (2:03.98). She also showed some range later in the same day, posting a 5,000m PR as part of a 30-point effort for the Lobo women in the event, posting a 16:11.64 to finish fourth.
RANKINGS CHECK-IN
After both the UNM men and women stayed ranked among the Top 30 in the nation for all six USTFCCCA TFRI rankings of the indoor season, both teams cracked the Top 10 in the same weekly ranking for the first time in program history this year and have both remained in the
The UNM men remain at No. 8 – their ninth week in a row in the Top 10 – after rising matching a program-best with a No. 6 national ranking in Week #4 and Week #9. Their previous best was No. 18 in the final week of the 2011 season.
Likewise, the UNM women remained in the Top 25 for the ninth week in a row, coming in at No. 23 this week. In the time since they clocked in at No. 7 in the nation in the final regular-season ranking of the 2019 season, the Lobo women had only cracked the Top 10 as a team once until Week 2’s No. 8 ranking, coming in at No. 9 in the nation in Week 4 in 2022.
| 2025 Outdoor USTFCCCA National Rankings |
||||||||||
| Week #1 | Week #2 | Week #3 | Week #4 | Week #5 | Week #6 | Week #7 | Week #8 | Week #9 | Week #10 | |
| New Mexico Men | #18 | #9 | #10 | #6 | #7 | #8 | #8 | #8 | #6 | #9 |
| New Mexico Women | #47 | #8 | #10 | #20 | #20 | #21 | #21 | #20 | #20 | #23 |
UNM MEN’S TRACK & FIELD – WEEK 10 USTFCCCA TFRI RANKINGS
- National Rank: No. 8 (–)
- Mountain Region Rank: No. 4 (–)
- Mountain West Conference Rank: No. 2 (–)
UNM WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD – WEEK 10 USTFCCCA TFRI RANKINGS
- National Rank: No. 23 (–)
- Mountain Region Rank: No. 5 (-1)
- Mountain West Conference Rank: No. 1 (–)
UNM MEN’S TRACK & FIELD – WEEK 8 USTFCCCA #EVENTSQUAD RANKINGS (Top 100 only)
- Men’s 100m – No. 25
- Men’s 200m – No. 63
- Men’s 1,500m – No. 15
- Men’s 5,000m – No. 1
- Men’s 10,000m – No. 1
- Men’s 400m Hurdles – No. 13
UNM WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD – WEEK 8 USTFCCCA #EVENTSQUAD RANKINGS (Top 100)
- Women’s 200m – No. 60
- Women’s 400m – No. 17
- Women’s 800m – No. 42
- Women’s 1,500m – No. 14
- Women’s 5,000m – No. 2
- Women’s 10,000m – No. 2
- Women’s Steeplechase – No. 7
- Women’s Pole Vault – No. 32
Sports
Mens track & field kick start their indoor season at SDSU
BROOKINGS, S.D. — The Jimmie men opened their indoor season with a strong first showing, posting competitive marks across sprint, distance, jump, and throw events.
Avery Ligon placed 20th in the 60 meter with a time of 7.17.
Xander Rath placed 35th in the 60 meter with a time of 7.43.
Conrad P. Baard placed 30th in the 200 meter with a time of 24.04, and 16th in the 400 meter with a time of 57.18.
Andrew Rexin placed 35th in the 200 meter with a time of 24.85, and 18th in the 400 meter with a time of 59.02.
Cael Church placed 15th in the 300 meter with a time of 37.43, and 12th in the 600 meter with a time of 1:26.90.
Clark Lortscher placed 5th in the 3000 meter with a PR of 8:57.81.
Cole Campbell placed 7th in the 3000 meter with a PR of 9:01.75.
Noah Sayler placed 10th in the 3000 meter with a PR of 9:16.42.
Aaron Devine placed 12th in the 3000 meter with a time of 9:19.37.
Lucas Dahl placed 13th in the 3000 meter with a PR of 9:20.35.
Braeden Kinzler placed 14th in the 3000 meter with a time of 9:22.51.
Payton Mukkada placed 15th in the 3000 meter with a time of 9:22.69.
Gavyn Graham placed 18th in the 3000 meter with a time of 9:37.02.
Adam Sobolik placed 19th in the 3000 meter with a time of 9:38.14.
Landon Thompson placed 20th in the 3000 meter with a time of 9:47.66.
Samuel Sampers placed 21st in the 3000 meter with a time of 9:50.89.
Kadin Marshall placed 24th in the 3000 meter with a time of 9:59.83.
Liam Pospisil placed 25th in the 3000 meter with a PR of 10:26.49.
Ethan Duval placed 3rd in the High Jump at 2.00m (6’6.75″), a PR.
Riley Johnson placed 10th in the High Jump at 1.80m (5’10.75″).
Trevor Waldo placed 17th in the Long Jump at 6.02m (19’9″).
Jayden Bittner placed 20th in the Long Jump at 5.75m (18’10.5″).
Brady Crabtree placed 14th in Pole Vault at 4.25m (13’11.25″), a PR.
Evan Schmit placed 11th in Shot Put at 14.59m (47’10.5″) and 20th in Weight Throw at 13.88m (45’6.5″), a PR.
Jobe Rystedt placed 16th in Shot Put at 13.56m (44’6″) and 26th in Weight Throw at 12.11m (39’8.75″).
WHATS NEXT?
The Jimmies return to action on Thursday, 11 December, competing at the Dakota Alumni Classic hosted by NDSU in Fargo, N.D.
Sports
Miami Announces 2026 Schedule – University of Miami Athletics
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Miami track and field program announced its highly competitive 2026 indoor and outdoor schedules Friday, highlighted by three home meets at Cobb Stadium.
The Hurricanes open the season Jan. 16 in Gainesville, Fla., at the Jimmy Carnes Invitational before traveling to Fayetteville, Ark., for the Razorback Invitational on Jan. 30–31. The regular season continues at the Tiger Paw Invitational in Clemson, S.C., on Feb. 13–14.
The ACC Indoor Championships are set for Feb. 26–28 in Boston, Mass., while the NCAA Indoor Championships will be held March 13–14 in Fayetteville.
Miami opens the outdoor season at home with a pair of meets, hosting the Hurricane Invitational on March 20–21 and the Hurricane Collegiate Invitational on March 27–28.
The Hurricanes return to Gainesville for the Florida Relays on April 3–4 before hosting their final home meet of the season, the Hurricane Alumni Invitational, on April 10–11.
Miami then heads back to Gainesville for the Tom Jones Memorial on April 17–18 prior to competing at the historic Penn Relays in Philadelphia, Pa., from April 23–25. The Hurricanes close the regular season at the UNF East Coast Relays in Jacksonville, Fla., on May 1–2.
Louisville, Ky., will host the ACC Outdoor Championships from May 14–16, while the NCAA East Prelims are set for May 27–30 in Lexington, Ky.
The 2026 season concludes at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Ore., from June 10–13.
Sports
Track & Field Opens Campaign with Strong Showing at HBCU & Ivy Challenge
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Harvard opened the 2025-26 track & field season on home turf, as the Crimson orchestrated wins in seven events at the fifth annual HBCU & Ivy Challenge.
A two-time All-Ivy League selection in the women’s weight throw and the 2024 Ivy League champion in the event, junior Emilia Kolokotroni started the day with a fantastic showing at Gordon Indoor Track, winning the women’s weight throw after posting a 19.10m (62’8″).
Harvard found more success in the field events, as first-year Jillene Wetteland earned a win in her collegiate debut after clearing 1.69m (5’6.5″) in the women’s high jump, as sophomore Tyler Glover finished in first in the women’s shot put after logging a throw of 15.42m (50’7.25″).
The Ancient Eight’s defending women’s pole vault champion in indoor competition, sophomore Ella McRitchie started the year with a win in the women’s pole vault after clearing 4.10m (13’5.25″).
On the track, a pair of seniors started the season with stellar performances on the straightaway. The 2025 Ivy League champion in the women’s 60 hurdles, senior Fabiola Belibi finished in first place in the women’s 60 hurdles at the HBCU & Ivy Challenge after posting a time of 8.50 in the final. One of Harvard’s team captains, senior Jonas Clarke kicked-off his final collegiate season with the Crimson with a win, finishing in first in the men’s 60m after crossing the finish line in 6.85.
Harvard’s men’s 4x440y relay team of sophomore Harlow Tong, first-year Hudson McGough, sophomore Brayden Chavez and first-year Oliver Parker ended the day on a high note, winning the event after combining for a time of 3:18.44.
In the team standings, the women’s squad took second with 82 points, while the men finished in fourth with 54 points.
HARVARD HIGHLIGHTS:
- Harvard started on the front foot in the throws cage, capturing the top two spots in the women’s weight throw. A two-time All-Ivy League selection and 2024 Ivy League champion in the women’s weight throw, Kolokotroni finished atop the podium with a throw of 19.10m (62’8″). Senior Michaela Denson finished in second to start her final track & field campaign with the Crimson, doing so with a throw of 18.19m (59’8.25″).
- A Crimson debutant picked up a win in the women’s high jump, as Wetteland took first after clearing 1.69m (5’6.5″). Junior Lilly Hodge also placed fourth in the event after leaping past 1.60m (5’3″).
- The Crimson orchestrated a promising effort in the men’s high jump, with two Harvard student-athletes finishing in the top five. First-year Joachim Johnson finished in third in his collegiate debut after clearing 2.04m (6’8.25″), a mark that is tied for 10th all-time in school history. Senior and team captain Daire Mahon finished in fourth place after clearing a personal-best 1.98m (6’6″).
- The track action started with a scoring effort in the men’s 600m, as first-year Hudson McGough added to Harvard’s total with a third place finish after crossing the finish line in 1:21.29.
- Back in the throws cage, another Crimson first-year scored in his Harvard debut, as first-year Daniel Ye finished in second in the men’s weight throw with an attempt of 17.69m (58′.5″).
- Harvard continued producing wins in the throws, as Glover started her second collegiate campaign with authority, winning the women’s shot put with a mark of 15.42m (50’7.25″). Glover’s throw from the HBCU & Ivy Challenge ranks third all-time in school history.
- The men’s side of the shot put saw two Crimson compete, as junior Isaac Delaney finished in third with a throw of 16.45m (53’11.75″).
- The straightaway finals started with a top five showing in the men’s 60 hurdles, as junior Simon Weiser placed in fifth with a time of 8.16.
- Wins arrived for Crimson seniors in both the women’s 60 hurdles and the men’s 60m. The Ivy League’s defending women’s 60 hurdles champion, Belibi kicked off her final collegiate season with a win in the event, posting a time of 8.50 to capture first place. In the men’s 60m, Clarke, one of Harvard’s team captains, outlasted the field to take first place with a time of 6.85.
- The women’s 60m final saw sophomore Ella Cooper clock a personal-best time of 7.59, taking fourth place in the process.
- McRitchie, another returning Ivy League champion, started the 2025-26 with a first place finish in the women’s pole vault, doing so after clearing 4.10m (13’5.25″). Hodge finished in second, as she also cleared 4.10m.
- The Crimson’s women’s 4x440y relay team of sophomore Abigail Dennis, sophomore Saige Forbes, Cooper and sophomore Kaelin Creagh took second after clocking a 3:56.07.
- On the men’s side of the 4x440y relay, Tong, McGough, Chavez and Parker combined for a time of 3:18.44 to earn the win.
UP NEXT:
The Crimson conclude the opening weekend of the 2025-26 track & field season with two meets tomorrow, as Harvard will host the Harvard Classic at Gordon Indoor Track and will also feature at the Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener at Boston University’s Track & Tennis Center.
For complete coverage of Harvard Track & Field, follow us on Twitter (@HarvardTFXC) and Instagram (@harvardtfxc).
Sports
Harris, Stewart & O’Brien Represent Ohio Track & Field at GVSU Holiday Open
ALLENDALE, Mich. – The Ohio women’s track & field team concluded its first meet of the indoor season, the GVSU Holiday Open, on Friday, Dec. 5.
Sophomore Mairin O’Brien (Lewis Center, Ohio) kicked off competition for Ohio in the women’s 3,000 meters. O’Brien placed seventh in Heat 1 of the event, running a time of 10:01.30.
Graduate student Kelsi Harris (Liberty Township, Ohio) and sophomore Kaitlyn Stewart (Floyd Knobs, Ind.) competed in the women’s 5,000 meters. Harris placed eighth in the Heat 1 of the event, recording a time of 16:45.66. Stewart took home eighth place in Heat 2 with a time of 17:07.16.
The Bobcats will be back in action at the Marshall Alumni Classic on Saturday, Jan. 10.
#OUohyeah
Sports
Blazers Complete 2025 Season Opener
BIRMINGHAM – UAB Track and Field opened the 2025 season on Friday as the Blazers competed in the Birmingham Indoor Icebreaker at the Birmingham Crossplex.
Victory George competed in multiple events as the newcomer participated in the 60m and the Long Jump. George placed 12th out of 69 athletes in the 60m Prelims with a time of 7.71 seconds. George narrowly missed the finals by .01 seconds as she placed second in heat 4. The newcomer from Nigeria placed 11th of 55 athletes in the Long Jump where she finished with a mark of 5.52m and placed third in flight 3.
Leticia Quingostas started her senior season strong in the 300m. The senior from Brazil placed ninth overall out of 28 athletes and won heat 4 with a time of 40.51 seconds.
The freshmen middle distance duo consisting of Kelly Hughes and Katelyn Valtos made their college debuts in the 1000m. Hughes (3:05.08) and Valtos (3:06.08) finished sixth and seventh overall respectively. Valtos’ time was tops in heat 2.
The Blazers saw four Pole Vault athletes compete on Friday. Noelle Hambrick was the leader of the quartet placing fifth with a mark of 3.70m. Victoria Freeland, Fiona Eastman, and Trinity Fellows each finished at 3.55m.
The Green and Gold rounded out the day with true freshman Sarah Hopkins competing in the Weight Throw. Hopkins finished her day with a mark of 14.58m on her final successful throw, which ranks third-best in school history for Indoor Weight Throw.
UAB returns to action on January 9, 2026 as it returns to the Birmingham Crossplex for the Blazer Invite. Meet information, schedules, and live results will be posted at a later date.
FOLLOW THE BLAZERS
To keep up with UAB Track & Field, follow @UAB_TF_XC on Instagram and X.
Sports
Aggies Fend Off Vols in Five-Set Epic to Advance in NCAA Tournament
Then, it seemed like the USU’s dream season might end in heartbreaking fashion.
But in a do-or-die fifth set, the Aggies fought off a furious comeback from seventh-seeded Tennessee to claim a thrilling 3-2 (25-19, 25-15, 20-25, 18-25, 15-11) victory in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. This is the first NCAA Tournament victory for Utah State volleyball since recording wins in back-to-back seasons in 2000 and 2001.
With the win, Utah State will now face No. 2 Arizona State on Friday, Dec. 5, at 6 p.m. (MT).
Sophomore setter Kaylie Kofe engineered the Aggie offense to a .312 hitting percentage, recording 57 assists. Senior middle blocker Tierney Barlow led USU with 16 kills on a team-best .560 hitting percentage while sophomore opposite side hitter Loryn Helgesen added 14 kills. The duo also tied for the team lead with four blocks apiece with each player also registering a solo block. Sophomore outside hitter Andrea Simovski also had 14 kills and sophomore outside hitter Mara Štiglic stuffed the stat sheet with 12 kills, six digs, three blocks and three assists. Junior libero/defensive specialist Kendel Thompson led the Aggie defense with 16 digs, also leading the team with two service aces.
Head coach Rob Neilson
“What a match. Hats off to that Tennessee team. We gave them all they could handle in those first two sets and then they responded. They’re a great team obviously, well coached and talented, physical. Then you get to a fifth set and it’s a coin flip. I thought we made enough plays and battled and came through adversity. I’m really proud of this group and I’m excited that we get to play some more volleyball together.”
Set One
The Aggies came roaring out of the gates, registering kills on nine of their first 13 attacks en route to taking a 10-5 lead to force a Tennessee timeout. Štiglic posted three kills during the early run, part of a 7-0-10 line for the Croatian in the opening set. Out of the timeout, the Vols responded with a 9-2 stretch to take a lead midway through the frame and force an Aggie timeout. USU stemmed the tide with a kill from redshirt freshman middle blocker Lauren Larkin that preceded a block by Barlow and Helgesen. A Helgesen kill and Thompson ace then made it a 4-0 Aggie run to deliver the advantage back to Utah State. The Vols scored back-to-back points to tie it at 16 before the teams alternated the ensuing six rallies. With the set tied at 19, the Aggies closed the frame on a 6-0 burst. Helgesen ignited the run with a kill before teaming with Larkin on a block to firmly give the Aggies control late in the set. Štiglic then delivered back-to-back kills to clinch the 25-19 win to open the match. Utah State hit .382 in the opening frame while holding Tennessee to .188 to take a 1-0 lead.
Set Two
Utah State again came out strong, using a 14-3 onslaught to grab hold of the second set. Simovski powered the on-fire start with five kills while Thompson added her second ace of the match to help build a double-digit cushion. The Aggies went a perfect 8-of-8 on attacks to begin the frame. Tennessee closed the gap with a 6-1 stretch, forcing a USU timeout. A Helgesen kill halted the Vols’ momentum before Utah State went on to close the set on a 5-1 run featuring a pair of kills from Barlow and a Helgesen ace plus a block by Štiglic and Barlow to help seal the 25-15 win. The Aggies improved on both their offensive and defensive marks from the first set, hitting .444 while holding Tennessee to .171 to go up 2-0 for the match.
Set Three
The Aggies again went up early as Barlow recorded three-straight kills and then a solo block as part of a personal 4-0 run to put USU ahead 7-4. The Vols, however, answered back with an 11-4 stretch to take a late four-point lead in the set. The Aggies battled back within two at 21-19 with Simovski supplying a pair of kills but Tennessee went on a 4-1 run to take the set, 25-20, to extend the match to a fourth set.
Set Four
The Vols maintained momentum to begin the fourth set, opening up a 10-5 lead out of the gates. USU scored three-straight points with Larkin and Helgesen both registering kills to trim the deficit to two points. Tennessee answered again, scoring seven of the next 10 rallies to extend their lead to six points. The Aggies were unable to build a comeback attempt as the Vols secured a 25-18 win to send the match to a winner-takes-all fifth set.
Fifth Set
In a pivotal start to the set, Utah State went up 5-2 courtesy of a pair of Simovski kills and three attacking errors from the Vols. The Aggies led by four points at 12-8 following two kills from Helgesen before Tennessee clawed back within one after three-straight points. USU regained the advantage from the defensive side as Barlow and Helgesen combined for a block to make it 13-11. Barlow then killed back-to-back balls off the slide to secure the 15-11 victory and send the Aggies into the second round.
Quick Notes
- Utah State also extended their overall winning streak to 22 matches, the third-longest streak in program history, trailing only a 23-game streak spanning the team’s 1978 national title season and 1979, and a program-record 26-game streak in 1978. USU’s streak is now tied for the third-longest active streak in the nation.
- Utah State hit .312 for the match, their 11th-straight match recording a .250 hitting percentage or better. The Aggies are now hitting .274 on the season, a mark which would break the current program record of .238 set in 2016.
- Larkin added another eight kills on a .500 hitting percentage plus two blocks and a career-high three digs.
- Sophomore outside hitter Delaney Lawson and freshman defensive specialist Sadie Warren provided key defensive contributions with eight and six digs, respectively.
- Utah State is now 3-6 in the NCAA Tournament all-time, recording their first win since defeating BYU in Salt Lake City in 2001. USU also defeated Missouri the year prior in Provo, Utah.
- The Aggies are now 19-13-1 all-time against SEC teams and recorded their first win over the conference since beating Alabama in 2003.
- Utah State improved to a 29-4 record during Kofe’s career when she records at least 10.0 assists per set.
Up Next
The Aggies continue play in the second round of the NCAA Tournament against second-seeded Arizona State on Friday, Dec. 5, at 6 p.m. (MT). The game will be streamed on ESPN+.
Fans can follow the Aggie volleyball program on Twitter, @USUVolleyball, on Facebook at /USUVolleyball or on Instagram, @usuvolleyball. Aggie fans can also follow the Utah State athletic program on Twitter, @USUAthletics, Facebook at /USUAthletics and on Instagram, @USUAthletics.
– USU –
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