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Show 10 Wednesday, Sept. 7,2005 Take Note: Deadline for intramural sports sign-ups is at 5 p.m. Wednesday. 797-1761 sports@statesman.usu.edu Down I Line [Sports Notes ~/jj Aggies fall after five games USU runners earn WAC honors BY BY ANDREA EDMUNDS Sports Editor Ryan Talbot/rtalbot@ctuut.edu AMANDA ORGILL STRETCHES reacha ball against Utah. The Aggies lost to the Utes after five games. The Utah State volleyball team fell to the University of Utah in five games Tuesday night in the Spectrum. It was the third time in the last three matches that the Ags came up short in the fifth game, something Utah State Head Coach Burt Fuller says is tough. "It's disappointing to keep coming up short in those," Fuller said. "The positives are that we're going five and we aren't getting spanked and that we were able to turn things around." USU's Zuzana Cernianska had a matchhigh 26 kills to lead the way for the Aggies. But it wasn't enough. In the fifth game, the Ags were outscored 8-2 halfway through the game, sealing the win for the Utes. Down 10-14, the Aggies were still fighting. A kill from sophomore Monarisa Ale followed by another from Cernianska. But a USU error on the next serve gave Utah the game and the match. "We just didn't capitalize and that's disappointing, especially against an instate rival," Fuller said. "We weren't able to get a better showing out of the gun in our first home match." "Our team really wanted to win this match. At the beginning, maybe we were a Game Over University of Utah 3 Utah State 2 little too tight." In the first game, the Aggies had an early 2-1 lead. However, it was the last Aggie lead for a while. Utah dominated the first two games, winning both 30-25. However, Utah State wasn't going to give up. "We just needed to use our serve more as a weapon," USU's Kelsie Peterson said. "We needed to come out and give them more of what they were giving us." The Aggies came out of the locker room on fire. In the first couple minutes of the game, Utah State went up 8-3 over Utah, and held the lead for most of the game. The Utes were able to come back and tie the game at 18, but the Aggies held out and won the game 3025. Fuller said the key to the Aggie win was serving. He said the Ags started serving more aggressively, taking Utah out of the offense and giving Utah State time to set up its block. After the win in game three, the Ag's enthusiasm carried over into the fourth game, giving them the 30-26 win and taking the match to five games. "I was so excited," Peterson said. "I don't think I've ever been so pumped in my entire life. My adrenaline was out of the roof." But it wasn't enough for •VOLLEYBALL See page 14 Women's..soccer loses pair of games -^Aggies drop close game at home to UNLV,"getMown away byBYU BY KEVIN NIELSON Senior Writer The Utah State women's soccer team lost both their matches over the weekend against UNLV and BYU. Monday night, in front of 2,758 cougar fans, the Aggies lost 5-0 to BYU The crowd was more into it than USU was since the Cougars were constantly attacking the entire game. The Ags were outshot 18-4 and managed just one shot the entire first half. When Utah State would mount an attack, the BYU players would always manage to win a header or clear it out to prevent any real threat. "In the first half, we got beat by a team that played faster than The Rebels scored goals in the us," Utah State Head Coach 12th and 14th minutes to go up Heather Cairns said. "They didn't 2-0. turn it over that much and in the The story of the game was the second half we beat ourselves. We Rebels' goalie Ciera Nero. After just fell apart." giving up the Aggies lone goal in The Cougars scored in the the first five minutes of the half, 18th and 33rd minutes of the Nero went on to record six saves first half and then topped off the the rest of the second half. game with three goals in the final "She did a really good job and 20 minutes of the game. saved a lot of dangerous balls The two first half goals came when we were one on one," Smith off counterattacks where the said of Nero. "We got some pretty Aggies were pushing the ball up open shots and she saved a lot of the field but the Cougars stole it those too." and quickly reversed the field. It didn't matter if the Ags got a This gave one of their forwards a player open on a run or there was free run on the weak side. a scramble in the box, Nero was Last Friday, the Aggies lost there to gobble up the ball like a to UNLV 2-1 in a game where the Ags fell because of a couple defensive lapses within three •SOCCER minutes of each other. See page 11 Ryan Talbot/rtQlbot@a,usu.edu DANA PEART tries to get a pass around a UNLV player Friday in Logan. Strickland leads Aggie runners at home meet Race was only one in Cache Valley Michael Stiarp/midwelsbarp&cusv.edu TIFFANY STRICKLAND came in first for the Aggie women Saturday in Logan. [Strickland] ran," Gensel said. "She just kind of measured everybody out the first half of the race and said 'here I go.'" The men finished second behind WSU with a 27-31 score. Boise State finished with 75 points. Senior Trevor Ball fin- runner, is a transfer from Illinois. Ball and Pilkington The Utah State cross ran right with each other country teams met with throughout the race until runners from Weber State, Pilkington broke free Boise State and Utah on towards the end. Saturday at the American "I had no idea he was West Heritage Center in going to come through that Wellsville. fast," Ball said. "That always Tiffany Strickland makes you wonder if came in first for the """" i you could have run women to lead the Aggie "I had no idea [Pilkington] •: faster." team to a 25-31 victory Senior Clark Bryner was going to come through over Weber State. came in third overall for Utah and Boise State USU. .hat fast." finished considerably Despite the loss, Trevor Ball Gensel was optimistic. behind, each with 94 points. Strickland finished Cross Country Runner "I wasn't really conwith a time of 15:36.20 on cerned about the race the 2.72 mile course, a full outcome as far as the 10 seconds ahead of the team was concerned," he next runner. said. "What I wanted to "I feel really good. It feels ished first for the Aggies at see was what they would do like the training has been under race conditions." 18:27.46, but just behind the working," Strickland said. Wildcats' Seth Pilkington The Aggies next meet Head coach Gregg Gensel (18:25.87). will be at Montana State at added his praise. Pilkington, a former Bozeman, Mont. On Sept.17. "What a great race Roy High School standout -benwalker@cc.usu.edu BY BEN WALKER Staff Writer U T A H STATE UNIVERSITY Athletic Media Relations Utah State's Trevor Ball and Tiffany Strickland were named the Western Athletic Conference men's and women's cross country athletes of the week on Tuesday. Ball, a senior from Hyrum, Utah, finished second at the American West Heritage Center Open held over the weekend. He posted a time of 18:27.46 in the 3.75-mile race. As a team, the Aggies finished second with 31 points. Strickland, a senior from Orem, Utah, earned her first career top-10 finish, taking home the title at the American West Heritage Center Open. She posted a time of 15:36.20 in the 2.72-mile race. The Aggies finished first in the four-team race. The Aggie cross country teams will return to action when they compete at the Montana State Invitational on Sept. 17. WAC names weekly athletic awards San Jose State quarterback Adam Tafralis, New Mexico State linebacker Jimmy Cottrell and San Jose State punter Waylon Prather were named the Western Athletic Conference offensive, defensive and special teams players of the week, respectively. Tafralis, a sophomore from San Bruno, Calif. (Mills HS), completed 21-of-34 passes for 290 yards and two touchdowns in San Jose State's 35-24 win over Eastern Washington. • Tafralis also rushed for two other touchdowns, from eight and three yards out. His passing touchdowns were both from the 20-yard line. Cottrell, a senior from Castle Rock, Colo. (Douglas County HS), tallied a WAChigh 18 tackles last week against UTEP. Cottrell had four solo tackles and 14 assists. He also had one sack for a loss of eight yards. Prather, a sophomore from Ben Lomond, Calif. (San Lorenzo Valley HS), punted five times in the win against Eastern Washington and averaged 40.8 yards per kick. Three of his punts were inside the 20-yard line as the Spartans allowed only five yards of punt returns for a 39.8-yard net punting average. This week in Campus Rec. • Canoe outing Saturday Sept. 10 at Bear Lake from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Contact the ORC at 797-3264 for more information. • The deadline for sign-up for outdoor intramural sports leagues is 5 p.m. Wednesday. Sign up at the HPER service desk. • The men's soccer club team hosts three games. Wednesday Utah State vs. UVSC Friday Utah State vs. Weber Saturday Utah State vs. Salt Lake Community College All games will be played at the Tower Field. |