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Show •^n^p- -^^^- -^^^- H First Presbyterian Church Rummage & Estate Sale! Friday Sept. 14th 5pm-8pm Saturday Sept. 15 th 9am-2pm 2 0 0 W. Center Friday, Sept. 14, 2007 Win: Ags crush Broncos in home-opening match [] continued from page 8 < V S ,\ ^ BAG SALE From 12-2pm on Sat. buy a brown grocery bag for $ 1 and take whatever you can get in the bagl & Other 10 nun Monday-Friday 1:30 p.m. to 3100 p.m SERVICES University bin, Ground Level, Room 102 Phone (435) 797-7777 • www.asu.edu/carccr would finish with 17 kills on a .282 hitting percentage, accounting for better of a third other team's points. "I was way excited lo play at home," Nielson said. "Traveling is rough and I was so excited for this game, so there was a lot of energy." The senior put that energy to good use, hitting the volleyball as if it stole something from her. Nielson's serves and spikes were audibly distinguishable from the other player's on the court. She used her power to blast through Boise State block attempts and pour points on in the second and third games when Boise was crumbling. "She does what she does. She's got some strengths and she's got some weaknesses. Hitting the ball really hard is one of her strengths," DuBose said. The coach also credited the senior for setting an example for the freshman players, saying it was "nice to see her exercise some leadership." The Broncos were unable to keep pace with the killing of Nielson due to dominant blocking by Osterloh, who spearheaded a superior block for USU with four. Utah State outblocked Boise 16-11. The other Aggie they couldn't solve was the freshman in the blue libero jersey, Christine Morrill. Morrill played defense from the net to the first row of seats, leading USU with 19 digs. Morrill credited a good attitude with helping USU to the win. "When we get down or we lose a point, we react and come back. We did a really good job of keeping up and keeping good spirits when we made mistakes," she said. Next for the Aggies, who improved their season record to 4-6 and got off to a 1-0 start in Western Athletic Conference play, is a match against San Jose State in the Spectrum Saturday night. Nielson was guardedly optimistic. "They're a little better team, so we can't expect to beat them that bad, but we still want to win," she said. "I think it'll be a lot harder. We've just got to defend our home court. I don't want to lose at home, especially as a senior. 1 just want to win at home." -graham. lcny@aggiemail. usu. edu Think International... USU fitudiiAJbroad Fair state: pass] Pictures taken Tuesday,^Sfctember 18, 2007 " 10:00ai TSC International/ Sunburst Lounge] U8IJ Study Abroad j ^ - I StatesmanSpovts Page 10 • www.usu.edu/studyabroad 797-0601/1253 AGGIE OUTSIDE HITTER AMANDA NIELSON (33) and middle blocker Melissa Larson (8) combine for a block against Boise State Thursday night. Nielson recorded 17 kills on the night to lead USU. PATRICK ODEN photo Fire: USU soccer ends two-game skid U continued from page 8 3-0 lead," Cairns said. "The first half we played really solid and finished our chances and really just controlled the game. At halftime Weber made a bit of a push." Giving Griffin a break, fellow goalkeeper Lisa Willardson took over the net and tallied four saves but also let three slide by as WSU notched up the intensity in the second half to turn a potential landslide victory into a high-scoring close game. "I think we lost our rhythm a little bit," Cairns said of her team's second-half performance. "I think we might have come out a little flat." Cairns said Weber's successful second half was largely aided by WSU midfielder Kelsie Ehler, who could flip ball accurately into the box, placing the ball in perfect position for a Wildcat score. Combining this with an adjustment to playing long ball, Cairns said WSU's stronger attack made it hard for her team to "settle down and play." In the 51st minute of play, WSU's Whitney Smith onetouched the ball off a throw-in from Ehler for the first Wildcat score. USU responded eight minutes later with a chip shot by freshman forward Lauren Hansen off an assist by junior forward Kiersten Nilsson, who was instrumental in setting up the first goal of the game for the Aggies. Hansen's goal was her first career goal. But the Aggies' 4-1 lead was short-lived as WSU scored its second goal in the 75th minute. That goal was followed up by another Wildcat goal to the far post, off a free kick. "We're giving away too many goals but it's not necessarily the goalkeeper's fault," Cairns said of WSU's second-half comeback. "We have to get better at that." Despite letting Weber State back in the game, Cairns said she was pleased with her team's performance. "I'm really excited that so many people got on the board for us," she said. "That was really important. It's really important that our attack is diverse and that we have a lot of people stepping up and taking accountability for what happens in the attack. I was really thrilled with that." COMING UP After a five-game road trip, the Aggies return home Friday to face the Oregon Ducks for the first time ever in the home opener at the Chuck and Gloria Bell Soccer Field, located north of Romney Stadium, next to the Stan Laub Center. Last season the Ducks were nationally ranked and were one of the last teams left out of the NCAA tournament. This season, the Ducks were picked to finish fifth in the Pac-10. Oregon is 31-0, coming off a shutout loss to Montana, a Big Sky team USU will face later in the season. The Ducks return a defensive squad that allowed only 17 goals last season. Offensively, Oregon is led by Danielle Sweeney, who has three goals and one assist on the season. "This is probably the toughest team we face this year," Cairns said. "They're good all around. They can defend, they can attack. The Pac-10 is an extremely talented conference. They're used to playing at a really high level. We're going to have to be really disciplined." -seth.h@aggiemaii usu. edu Plunge: Ags hoping for major upset [1 continuedfrom page 8 Cache Valley Women's Center is pleased to introduce offense to the Hurricanes. That same defense leads the nation in tackles for loss per game, averaging 13. There is no question the Aggies will have great obstacles to overcome on both sides of the ball to make the score respectable. USU will look to improve on third-down conversions, an area they went 0-13 in against Wyoming last week. "We've got to get that extra yard," Guy said. "I don't think DR. A N N E S. BLACKETX who will be joining our practice August 1st, 200?.'' - •*> Dr. Blackett is a. Utah native who loves the outdoors and is excited to return to* 'T" . -*fl—•••• . • -V. 1 Utah to start her medical practice, Anne, * I her hiisband Cody, and their daughter-*'! Claudia are excited to become a part of;. Cache Valley Women's Center. Cache: "Wiley Woitien's Center accepts all insuiaAfi companies including 'SELECT MED. it's a matter of not calling the right plays, it's a matter of we've got to get one more yard. We've got to run over the guy or make the guy miss or block the guy one yard better." Aggie Quarterback Leon Jackson is showing significant strides of improvement through two games. He collected 147 passing yards against Wyoming, which was his highest number since November of 2005 when he threw for 372 yards vs. Louisiana Tech. The Aggie running game, anchored by Curtis Marsh and Aaron Lesue, has been equally good. The 137 yards gained against Wyoming was the highest since Nov. 3 of 2006. "This is an opportunity of a lifetime," Guy said. "You may not ever get to play a team ranked this high again, so what : are you going to do with it? That will be the challenge we face." Kickoff is 1:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast on KJZZ. -samueihislop@aggiemail.usu. Ties: 15 Aggies from OU rival state [M continuedfrom page 8 .1321 Suite I 02 V^ 3 - 9 9 f % .tv.*i. ering Vice to OSU. That doesn't stop him from striving to turn USU into a program like the Sooners, and still maintain a relationship with many of the coaches at OU - some of whom he deals with while recruiting in the Dallas area. No matter where the players and coaches stand on the Red River Rivalry, it will be a homecoming, of sorts, Saturday. Most of the Texas players, Vice and Guy all have friends and family making the trip to Norman. Along with friends and family, these Aggies will be returning to the football-crazed environment of Big XII country. "The southern atmosphere is just great," Actkinson said. "You drive the bus in, you'll see all the tailgaters, people going crazy, waiting days before. They take it seriously down there, and I love it." Growing up in Oklahoma, Vice also knows the football atmosphere in the Sooner state. "Football is the only game in town out there," he said. "Basically, there's three seasons out there. There's football season. There's spring football season. And there's recruiting season." ... (Football) is a way of life out there. A lot of people joke around, it's not an extra sport, it's sort of a religion." -da.bake@aggiemailusu.edu i 1 I |