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Show Friday, Sept. 11, 2009 Page 9 FridaySports Utah State University • Logan, Utah • www.aggietownsquare.com Volleyball TouchBase Lady Aggies road trip to face UTSA By USU ATHLETICS JUNIOR MIDDLE BLOCKER KATIE ASTLE follows through on a spike for one of her three kills Wednesday night in the Spectrum against the Idaho State Bengals. PATRICK ODEN photo Spikers flatten Idaho State By CONNOR JONES sports senior writer One day after a disappointing five-set loss to in-state rival University of Utah, the lady Aggie volleyball team returned to the Spectrum and swept the Idaho State Bengals in three straight sets. With the win Utah State evens up its record at 3-3, while Idaho State is 43. The Aggies began the first set with a vengence, jumping to an early 104 lead and eventually winning by 12 at 25-13. Sophomore Liz McArthur racked up seven kills in the first set from her outside hitter position and had no errors on 13 attempts for a .538 hitting percentage. Juniors Shantell Durrant and Katie Astle added three kills on four attempts each for a .750 hitting percentage. The Aggies had 16 kills on 31 attempts with zero errors in the first set for a .516 hitting percentage, while holding the Bengals to seven kills on 32 attempts with seven errors for a hitting percentage of .000. In the second set, USU had 17 kills on 43 attempts with three errors for a .326 hitting percentage. Sophomore Emily Kortsen led the Aggies with six kills, followed by McArthur who had four. Junior Danielle Taylor and Durrant both recorded three kills. Kortsen also led USU in digs during the set with eight. USU edged out the Bengals 25-20. The third set saw more of the same from ISU with service errors, sloppy passing and bad attacks, which led to 12 free points for the Aggies. Match point came with a kill by Taylor from freshman Kassi Hargrove. Hargrove, who is growing into the setting position, was a three-time high school allstate selection in Nevada for softball. She hit for a .409 average and had a pitching record of 8-2 with a .97 earned run average her senior year. The Aggies’ next two weekends are full of matches. They play in two tournaments: The Fiesta Bowl Tournament, hosted by Northern Arizona University, followed by the Kent State Tournament in Kent, Ohio. The Fiesta Bowl features Utah State, The Citadel and Wyoming. On Sept. 18 and 19 they face off against Kent State and Robert Morris during the Kent State Tournament. After coming off a tough loss to University of Utah, Kortsen said it was nice to get a win before leaving for two big tournaments. “We want to have match experience,” head coach Grayson DuBose said. “That’s why we set up the schedule the way we did: to give us a bunch of matches before the WAC season starts.” Conference play starts for the Aggies on Sept. 24 when they face the New Mexico State Aggies at the Pan American Center in Las Cruces, New Mexico. –c.h.j@aggiemail.usu.edu Optimism running high for baseball team By DAN FAWSON staff writer Coming off a spring 2009 campaign in which they fell just short of a second straight regional tournament appearance, the Utah State Club Baseball Team is hoping a strong fall season will help build toward challenging for a Conference championship and returning to the post-season. The Aggies 13-5 record in Northern Pacific East Conference games last spring left the team one game behind second place Boise State, one game short of a regional tournament berth and wondering what might have been. “Last season we didn’t do as well as we should have,” said All-Conference pitcher Ryan Doyle. “We blew an 11-run lead to Boise State which pretty much cost us our postseason. That left a really bitter taste in our mouths.” The club baseball fall season is designed to help coaches prepare for the spring. Head coach Brett Alamari and assistant coach Norm Doyle will use fall games to evaluate players and see who will be able to contribute and help the team earn a post-season berth come spring. “Our main goal for this fall is to get a look at a lot of players so we know what we’ll have going into the spring,” Norm Doyle said. “We have a veteran team but are looking to add some depth.” The Aggies return a lineup largely intact from last season, a rarity in club baseball. The team relied heavily on pitching and defense last season and while both should remain strengths, the Aggies are expecting more offensive firepower this year. “I really think our hitting should be our biggest strength this year,” Ryan Doyle said. “Everyone in our lineup can hit the ball, and it’s not often you have a team like that, especially in club baseball.” Leading the offensive charge this season should be Brad Singer, who is making the move from second to third base. Last season was Singer’s first with the team, and after leading the way in many offensive categories, including a .429 batting average, the Aggies are expecting even better things in year two. “If I had to single out one player who I thought would have a big season, it would probably be Brad Singer,” Ryan Doyle said. “He’s the type of player who can hit for power and average, as well as steal bases and play great defense. He should have a big year for us.” Singer said his first season presented a difficult transition, but he feels he’s now ready to take on more of a leadership role. “Last year was my first year, and I didn’t know what to expect,” Singer said. “I didn’t know how difficult the league was.” But Singer said familiarity with the conference and a summer league experience in which most of the players played on the same team helped him start being more of a leader, and he’s hoping to continue in that role. Joining Singer in the infield will be shortstop Zack Gunn who was second on the team in batting average last spring, hitting .379. The team is waiting to learn whether a scheduled fall graduation will affect first baseman Broc Neagle’s eligibility, in which case newcomer Eric Swenson may pick up the slack at first. Catcher Gavin Johnson also returns, and while he is a threat at the plate, his greatest strength may be his familiarity with the Aggie pitchers. The opening left by Singer at second base may be filled by newcomer Brad Sayama. Center fielder Kevin Hall returns to lead the Aggie outfield after hitting .311 and driving in 20 runs in the spring. While his numbers are impressive, Hall’s teammates think the leadership he provides is equally important. “He definitely gets us going with what he has to say as well as how he plays the game,” Ryan Doyle said. “He is the type of leader who is not afraid to tell you exactly what you’re doing wrong and how you need to fix it, but then he goes out and backs it up with how well he plays.” Hall said he agrees on-field performance is most important when being a leader, acknowledging that while he can be loud and enthusiastic, “the best way to get everyone going is through my play.” Hall will miss the fall season while recovering from shoulder surgery but sees his absence as an opportunity for the team to build depth heading into the spring. Joining Hall in the outfield will be speedy left fielder Kelden Peterson who Doyle says has a knack for getting on base. When on base last spring, Peterson proved himself a terror to opposing infields, recording a team-high 11 stolen bases. Ryan Doyle and Jesse Kunz typically make their greatest contributions to the team on the mound, but - See BASEBALL, page 10 After a brief two-match homestand, the Utah State soccer team travels to the University of Texas at San Antonio to face the Roadrunners on Friday at 6 p.m. Following the match with UTSA, the Aggies will take on Houston Baptist on Sunday at noon. Utah State looks to break a two-match winless streak after losing to No. 20 Oklahoma and tying Wyoming, 1-1, last week in Logan. This is the Aggies’ second trip to the Lone Star state this season. In its first trip, Utah State captured the Miner Classic with wins against Texas Tech and Stephen F. Austin. Utah State holds a 10 record against UTSA, defeating the Roadrunners in Logan last season. In the win in 2008, Lindsey Smart and Lauren Hansen provided the offense, while Ali Griffin pitched her fourth shutout of the season. This is the first ever meeting between the Aggies and the Huskies of Houston Baptist. Junior forward Lauren Hansen leads the Aggies in scoring with three goals and one assist for four points. She also has one game-winning goal. Lady Aggies road trip to face UTSA By USU ATHLETICS Utah State’s Big Blue Scholarship Fund Luncheons in Logan will be webcast live, starting on Monday, Sept. 14. To access the webcast, fans can log onto www. usubigblue.com. Past luncheons will be archived at iTunes University, by going to https://podcasts. usu.edu, then clicking the Open USU on iTunes U link. Then click on the Athletics link and go to USU Athletics – Football. “Aggie Athletics is committed to connecting or reconnecting with our alumni, former athletes and support base wherever they are located,” said Kent Stanley, USU Senior Associate Athletics Director for Development. “Many Aggies outside of Cache Valley have never had a chance to hear Coach Andersen. Tuning in on the Monday after a game will allow Aggies everywhere to hear directly from our head coach, and see the film he is reviewing with the live audience in Logan. This is the first of a handful of initiatives aimed at broadening our base and communicating with our stakeholders irregardless of geography.” The other Logan luncheons, held on Mondays, will be on Sept. 21 and 28, Oct. 12, 19 and 26, and Nov. 2 and 16, all at The Copper Mill Restaurant. located at 55 N. Main in Logan. |