LOGAN, Utah – Washington State women’s volleyball fell to Utah State in five sets Thursday in Logan, Utah, 25-21, 12-25, 22-25, 25-18 and 13-15.
The Cougars (9-11, 4-6 Pac-12) tallied 62 kills, and held advantages in digs (75-67) and total blocks (10-9).
Eliana Ti'a led WSU with 17 kills and 19 points, adding 13 digs and two service aces.
Livia Ward finished with a team-high 33 assists and seven digs.
Kryssa Moerman hit .583 with eight kills and matched the team lead with five blocks.
Emerson Matthews recorded 10 kills and shared the team high with 15 digs while adding four blocks.
WSU answered Utah State’s 4-3 lead and went up 8-5 behind a Kate Hayhurst kill, a Utah State attack error and a Ti'a kill. Utah State tied it twice late, but Matthews, Moerman, Hayhurst and Ti'a delivered kills as the Cougars took the first set 25-21.
Matthews opened the second set with a kill from Ward, and WSU tied it 5-5 on a Moerman kill and Utah State attack error. USU answered with four straight points and built a 16-6 lead, and despite three Mary Healy kills, Utah State closed the set 25-12.
Utah State scored the first four points of the third, but WSU rallied with kills from Ti'a, Moerman and Whitney Dewicki, then led 14-12 after Hayhurst’s kill and an error. Utah State went ahead 19-17, and though WSU stayed close, a Utah State kill ended it 25-22.
Hayhurst’s kill from Ward started a 5-0 WSU lead, and Ti'a’s early offense helped push the fourth set to 10-3 and 15-6. Utah State cut it to 15-9, but Ti'a and Hayhurst responded before Ti'a finished the 25-18 win with a kill.
WSU opened the fifth with a Naomi White block and Hayhurst kill, staying ahead 4-2 on a Hayhurst kill and Moerman-Dewicki block. USU led 8-6, but WSU tied it 11-11 and went up 12-11 on Ti'a’s ace before Utah State took the set 15-13.
Up next, the Cougars travel to San Diego, Calif., to face San Diego State Saturday, Oct. 31, at 12 p.m.
TRENDS AND MILESTONES
- WSU has recorded 8+ blocks in 17 matches this season, and 12+ in 10 of them.
- The Cougars have tallied double-digit blocks in back-to-back matches.
- Kryssa Moerman and Naomi White have each recorded 5+ blocks in two straight matches.
- Moerman has recorded 4+ blocks in 11 of last 15 games.
- White has 116 blocks this season, one shy of her single-season career-high (117 in 2025).
- Emerson Matthews matched a career-high tonight with four blocks.
- Matthews has 449 career kills, 51 away from 500.
- Whitney Dewicki surpassed the 100 total kills mark for the season.
- Audrey Hollis has 1,423 career assists, 77 shy of 1,500.
- Eliana Ti’a has 400 career kills, 100 away from 500.
- Livia Ward has 865 career assists, 135 from 1,000.
Cougar volleyball single-match and season tickets are on sale at wsucougars.com. Follow WSU volleyball on social media and stay up to date on Cougar news, on Instagram (@wsucougarvb), X (@WSUCougarVB), and Facebook (facebook.com/WSUCougarVB).