Utah State volleyball coach Rob Nielson. Photo by Clint Allen
LOGAN, Utah – Four Utah State volleyball players were honored by the Mountain West, while Rob Neilson was named the Conference’s Coach of the Year for the second time in three seasons as the all-conference teams were announced Wednesday.
Graduate senior outside hitter Shelby Capllonch, senior outside Tatum Stall and junior opposite Adna Mehmedovic were each named to the all-Mountain West team, while freshman libero Kambree Rodriguez was an honorable mention selection.
Neilson, the 2023 MW Coach of the Year, also earned the honor in 2021.
Capllonch, a native of Honolulu, Hawaii, totaled a team-best 226 kills in conference play, averaging 3.28 per set. She was second on the team with 170 digs, averaging 2.46 per set, while adding 28 service aces, 25 assists and 19 blocks. Capllonch ranks third in the MW in league play in service aces per set (0.41) and is seventh in kills per set (3.28). Capllonch recorded double-digit kills in 13 league matches and double-digit digs in eight, logging four double-doubles.
Stall, a native of Chandler, Arizona, is second on the team with 221 kills in MW action, averaging a team-high 3.40 per set. She has also recorded 143 digs, averaging 2.20 per set, 31 blocks, 26 service aces and 18 assists. Stall ranks fourth in the MW in league play in service aces per set (0.40) and is fifth in kills per set (3.40). Stall recorded double-digit kills in 15 league matches and double-digit digs in six, logging five double-doubles.
Mehmedovic, a native of Peoria, Arizona, has recorded 181 kills, averaging 2.78 per set, while adding 58 blocks, 45 digs and five assists during conference play. She ranks ninth in the MW in league play in hitting percentage (.312). Mehmedovic logged double-digit kills in nine matches and had at least five blocks in four matches.
Rodriguez, a native of Syracuse, Utah, led the Aggies with 207 digs, averaging 3.14 per set, during MW action. She has also recorded 74 assists, 13 service aces and three kills. Rodriguez ranks seventh in the MW in league play in digs per set (3.14). She logged double-digit digs in 12 league matches and had one double-double.
Neilson was named the MW Coach of the Year after leading the Aggies to a 17-1 mark in league play, the most conference wins in program history. The Aggie squad has ranked in the top-20 in the RPI multiple times this season, most recently at No. 16 on Nov. 20. USU has also received votes in the AVCA coaches’ poll six times this season, including each of the last four weeks. Utah State ranked in the top-three of the MW in several categories in league play, including assists per set (13.20, 1st), kills per set (14.12, 1st), service aces per set (1.87, 1st), opponent hitting percentage (.198, 2nd) and hitting percentage (.269, 3rd).
Utah State set a school-record this season with its 17 league wins, while its 24 overall wins are tied for the seventh-most in school history. Furthermore, USU has won 14 straight matches, which is tied for the fourth-longest winning streak in program history.
Utah State also finished five matches ahead of the second-place team this season, which is tied for the largest gap between the top two teams in MW history.
Utah State (24-5, 17-1 MW) will next compete in the semifinals of the MW Championship in Las Vegas, Nev., on Thursday, Nov. 23, at 2 p.m. (MT). The championship match will be played on Friday, Nov. 24, at 5 p.m. (MT). Every match during the MW Championship will be streamed on the MW Network.
Fans can follow the Aggie volleyball program on Twitter, @USUVolleyball, on Facebook at /USUVolleyball or on Instagram, @usuvolleyball. Aggie fans can also follow the Utah State athletic program on Twitter, @USUAthletics, Facebook at /USUAthletics and on Instagram, @USUAthletics.
