Utah State women's volleyball is returning to the road for a pair of back-to-back matches in Washington, according to a November 11 statement. The Aggies are scheduled to face Washington State on Thursday, Nov. 12, at 7 p.m. (MT) before meeting Gonzaga on Friday, Nov. 13, at 7 p.m. (MT).
The Aggies enter the Washington series with a history of competitive matchups against Washington State. The teams will meet for the ninth time in history, including the fourth time in Pullman. Utah State won the first meeting between the teams this season in a five-set match in Logan. Prior to that win, Washington State had won meetings in 1985, 1992, 2000, 2007, and 2019.
Regarding the Gonzaga matchup, Utah State holds a 4-2 all-time lead. This will be only the sixth time the programs have met and the second time they have faced each other since 2009. Utah State previously won matches in 1986, 1990, and 2000, while Gonzaga won in 1994 and 2009.
Individual accolades were recently highlighted as Olivia Ruy was named the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week and Silina Damuni earned Defensive Player of the Week honors. Ruy recorded a team-high .356 hitting percentage and 34 kills during the week. Damuni led the team with 30 digs and six blocks.
The Aggies' offensive strength is bolstered by junior outside hitters Olivia Ruy and Sami Blackett, who both rank in the top 10 in the Pac-12 for kills per set. Blackett averages 3.39 kills per set, ranking fifth in the league, while Ruy averages 3.00 kills per set, ranking ninth. Both players have recorded three matches this season with 20 or more kills.
Utah State currently sits 1.5 games behind Boise State for the fourth and final spot in the Pac-12 Tournament. The team's nonconference schedule included 10 opponents, seven of whom made the 2025 NCAA Tournament. The roster features 10 players from Utah, a significant increase from the five Utahns on last year's squad.
