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Show Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2010 Page 5 WednesdayS110 Utah State University • Logan, Utah • www.utahstatesman.com Aggie golfers draw in duel versus SUU By RHETT WILKINSON staff writer UTAH STATE's CHELSEA FOWLES gets up from the floor after diving for a ball against Weber State on Aug. 31. Fowles became Utah State's all-time assist leader during an Oct. 6 match against Idaho, breaking Carrie Seteverson's I 9-year old record. Fowles, whose father is a volleyball coach, has been playing the game since age eight. TODD JONES photo Fowles set up for volleyball success from an early age By MArk ISREALSEN staff writer "Mine, mine, mine," Chelsea Fowles calls as she races to the ball. She gets under the bump pass from her teammate and then delivers a beautiful set to another teammate, who blasts a kill right past the opponent's outstretched arms. Bump, set, spike; point Aggies, and assist to Chelsea Fowles. The next possessions seem like déjà vu. The Aggies get the ball to Fowles and over and over again she sets up a teammate perfectly for a spike right through the heart of the defense. This scene is familiar for Aggie volleyball fans. For the past four years, they've played volleyball for my whole watched as Fowles has devellife and I've always wanted to oped from a talented freshbe somebody when it came man setter into to that. So now arguably the 9 couldn't have knowing that greatest passer I'll always be done it without remembered in in Utah State my teammates University histhat kind of catbecause if some- egory is a huge tory. On Oct. 6, body doesn't get deal." in a nationally As much of a kill I don't get televised match individual an assist. We're an against Idaho, accomplishment Fowles became an a wsome as the milestone team." Utah State's is, Fowles also all-time assist Chelsea Fowles, recognizes how leader with USU setter important her 3,948 career team is. assists, breaking "I couldn't the 19-year-old have done it record of 3,942 held by Carrie without my teammates," she Steverson. said. "Because if somebody "It's a really big goal that doesn't get a kill I don't get I've had," Fowles said. "I've an assist. We're an awesome team." The Utah State senior started playing volleyball at a young age and hasn't let her love affair with the sport diminish with age. "My dad was a coach," she said. "When I was only eight years old I played on a team that he coached." "I have three older sisters," she added. "When they all started playing I just wanted to be exactly like them so I was like, 'I can play too, let me play!'" As a kid, Fowles said she dreamed of being a volleyball star and was inspired by one volleyball player in particular. "When I was way young, I I See FOWLES, page 6 USU junior Austin French won all three of his matches to lead the Utah State men's golf team to an 8-5 draw with Southern Utah over the weekend in Cedar City, Utah. "It was a group effort to get by (with the draw)," said USU coach Dean Johansen. Johansen explained that after a rough time at the 2010 Purple & Red Invitational at Valley View Golf Club last week — where the team finished 12th in a pool of 16 teams — it was encouraging for his team to rebound with a strong showing in Utah's Dixie tournament. "(The draw) was good for the morale of the team," Johansen said. "We were down after the (Purple & Red Invitational), because we started strong and ended not so strong. It boosts the morale, especially when we finished as strong as we did ... it brings a good feel to the team." The strong finish specifically came on Sunday, during the second half of the tournament. The Aggies had entered the day trailing Southern Utah 4.5-3.5, but won five of the last nine individual matches to notch the tie. "Guys knew before they teed off that they were going to win (Sunday)," Johansen said. "We had a couple of guys step up and win big. The Aggies needed at least five points for the draw on the second day, and the Aggie golfers didn't disappoint, with many on the team making critical shots for the win. Some of the brightest spots for Utah State came from senior Benjamin Schilleman, sophomore Kris Sayer and junior Quinn Jensen, who all defeated their Southern Utah competitors. The two teams also split a pair of matches on the tournament's latter day as senior Thad Truman and Greg Kerber played to a draw, as did juniors Chanse Godderidge and Jordan Orth. On Saturday, USU began solid play with 2.5 points in the first of four best ball matches, sparked by French and Godderidge. The Aggies started the tournament with a 2-0 lead before slipping when the Thunderbirds' Jake Holt and Denny Job defeated USU seniors Tyson McFarland and Thad Truman. The fourth set was a draw between Sayer and junior Quinn Jensen, played against Southern Utah's Brock Glasmann and Greg Kerber. To end the first day of action, SUU surged ahead by taking three of the four points in the four "alternate shot" rounds. French and McFarland scored the only point of that round for the Aggies. Johansen said the team "struggled a bit" in the first day, because it was hard to get into a rhythm due to "several blind shots" and "lots of local locale (the Aggies) didn't have (last year)," since the Aggies and Thunderbirds have started playing a home-andhome series. Johansen called the home-and-home series style "special for each team." The pairing for the tournament was pieced together by Johansen and SUU coach Richard Church seven years ago. Overall, the series remains deadlocked with three wins apiece and one tie. However, Utah State is now 2-0-1 against the Thunderbirds over the last three years. "We'll springboard off this (draw) to next week," Johansen said of the possible momentum that can be sparked by such a strong back-end showing to complete the tournament. "It's great to have a tournament next week so we can keep riding that momentum wave," he said. — rhett.wilkinson@aggiemad.usu.edu Tennis teams finish preseason on a high note ing her record to a 2-3 mark on the season. Seniors Taylor Perry West followed with a 6-3 singles record. Wright said and Hailey Swenson each advanced to the second round after that Hailey and Jaclyn were particularly focused, sports senior writer defeating Perry defeated Weber State's Kassia Adamso ( 6-2, 4-6, and very "in" the tournament. In doubles 6-2) and Swenson took out New Mexico's Nikolina Grbac (6-4, 7competition, senior Taylor Perry and West Utah State's women's tennis team participated in the United 5). Perry improved to 5-1 on the season, and Swenson continued finished the fall with a perfect 4-0 States Tennis Association/Intercollegiate Tennis Association to lead the Aggies in singles action with a 10-1 record. record. Mountain Regional Championships this past weekend. The Day two proved to be lucrative for USU as well. In singles The USTA/ITA Mountain championship was held at the University of Las Vegas-Nevada's action, two USU competitors advanced to the third Regional Championship marks Fertitta Tennis Courts. The USU team competed round. Jaclyn West defeated BYU's Liza Ezhova (7-6, the end of fall play for the against 18 other schools, including in-state rivals "I feel that 3-6, 7-5) in the second round and then fell to Utah's Aggies, and with that in BYU, Utah and Weber State, along with Western we played well ST Anastasia Putilina (7-5, 6-2) in the third round. Athletic Conference foes Boise State, Idaho, ...These fall West improved to 5-3 record with that match. Hailey N I See TENNIS, Nevada and New Mexico State. Swenson defeated Northern Arizona's Orsi Golovics tournaments are page 6 "We played some schools in the WAC, some ( 6-3, 7-5) in round two and fell in round three to a really good from the Mountain West, and some from Big Sky, Boise State's Elyse Edwards (7-5, 6-1). BUY ONE GET ONE FREE so we got a feel for a lot of different competition," gauge of where with student / Utah State advanced junior Brianna Harris ALL DAY! D said head coach Christian Wright. your team is and sophomore Kristina Voytsekhovich to the sec"I feel that we played well, though. I can see physically, men- ond round of doubles. Harris and Voytsekhovich things that we are doing well, and things that took the win over Colorado State's Caitlin Fluegge tally, and as we need to work on. These fall tournaments are and Veronika Wojakowska (8-4) in round one teammates." a really good gauge of where your team is-physithen fell to Idaho's Victoria Lozano and Lauren Christian Wright, Simpson (8-5). Harris and Voytsekhovich are cally, mentally, and as teammates." In its first day of action, the USU women's USU head coach 2-2 in doubles this fall. team advanced five singles competitors to round USU's campaign ended with two. action on Saturday. A big factor that helped the girls out, according to Wright, was Junior Julie Tukuafu was the lone Aggie to the low elevation. compete on Saturday. Tukuafu fell to New "We just physically are at our peak when we can play in such Mexico's Nikolina Grbac (6-0, 6-2) in the low elevations," he said. third round of the consolation singles Be our friend on for special offers! Sophomore Jaclyn West defeated Wyoming's Rebecca Berger flight. Tukuafu finishes pre-season (6-0, 6-0) while sophomore Kristina Voytsekhovich took the win action with a 4-4 singles record. over Northern Colorado's Stephanie Catlin ( 6-4, 6-0) in their See the Aggies vs Hawaii - Sat. 3 pm Hailey Swenson led the first rounds, respectively. West improved to 6-2 on the season USU in singles competiwith the match, while Voytsekhovich evened her record at 3-3. tion with an impresJunior Monica Abella fought her way through three sets to THE PLACE TO BE . 2271 N MAIN • NORTH LOGAN • 787-AGGY sive 10-3 record. defeat Montana State's Andrea De La Torre (1-6, 6-4, 6-3), bringSophomore Jaclyn By KAYLA CLARK svARRTGvigsas ij FTWuARDio lfEFF RP SAND WICHES! facebook |