By Joe Roias — Staff Writer
San Jose State snapped a three-game losing streak Saturday with a convincing sweep over the Utah State Aggies — 25-14, 25-14, 25-9.
The Spartans (8-15 overall, 3-9 MWC) played with a lot of energy and didn’t allow the Aggies (2-22, 2-10) to establish any offensive rhythm.
In the opening set, SJSU wasted no time and jumped out to an 8-1 lead.
Establishing that early lead instilled confidence throughout the team and it led to an easy 1st set victory.
“Celebrating the little successes helped us build momentum,” said senior Caitlin Bettenay.
Utah State had no answers for SJSU’s ability to force the issue with well-placed spikes.
Spartan sophomore Mamie Garard was all over the court and finished the game with an astonishing 42 assists and five digs.
SJSU trailed just once the entire match, a 3-1 deficit in the second set. However, they quickly took the lead back with nine straight points and closed out the set 25-14.
The third and final set was much of the same as the Aggies went down 11-1 to start the set and simply couldn’t cut into that Spartan lead.
SJSU sophomore Haylee Nelson made her presence felt and finished the game with a team-leading 16 kills.
The Spartans communicated well on the court and their overall team chemistry shined throughout the match.
“We’re definitely a family here,” Bettenay said. “It’s nice to have a family away from home and we love one another’s company.”
The SJSU Spartans look to keep the momentum going when they take on Nevada Tuesday at 6 p.m.
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