RENO, Nev.– The Nevada volleyball team showcased their resilience and grit with a thrilling five-set victory over Utah State, winning 3-2 (25-22, 27-25, 23-25, 19-25, 15-13) in a back-and-forth battle at Virginia Street Gym. With this victory, the Wolf Pack improves to 11-8 overall and 4-3 in Mountain West play, marking their sixth five-set win of the season.  

The match started with a fierce first set that saw Nevada edge Utah State 25-22. Kinsley Singleton set the tone with a service ace to open the match, and later tied it at 11-11 with another. The Wolf Pack rallied with a block from Carissa Chainey to level the score at 17-17, before McKenna Dressel's kill made it 23-21. Gabby McLaughlin finished the set with a kill, sealing the 25-22 victory. 

In the second set, Nevada surged ahead with a 27-25 win, thanks to setter Tehya Maeva's dump attack that gave the Pack a slim 6-5 lead early on. Singleton continued to dominate from the service line with another ace at 11-10, while McLaughlin delivered clutch kills to extend the lead to 18-13. Chainey's kill tied the set at 20-20, and after a back-and-forth battle, Sia Liilii's kill at 24-24 set up Nevada's set point, secured by Singleton's ace.  

Despite Nevada's early success, Utah State fought back to claim the third and fourth sets, 25-23 and 25-19, respectively, sending the match into a deciding fifth set. 

In the decisive fifth set, both teams traded blows, staying even at 9-9. Singleton added another ace at 10-9. With the score tied at 12-12, McLaughlin hammered a kill to regain the lead, and Summer Suppik's ace at 14-12 gave Nevada the cushion they needed. Dressel sealed the win with a powerful kill, clinching the set 15-13. 

McLaughlin led the charge for Nevada with a stellar all-around performance, tallying 21 kills, three service aces, and nine digs to help push the Wolf Pack to victory. Liilii contributed 11 crucial kills, while Snyder added 10 more, providing consistent offense throughout the match. Singleton was a force both defensively and from the service line, recording 11 digs and delivering six aces at pivotal moments. Chainey chipped in with nine kills, and Maeva masterfully orchestrated the offense with 41 assists, keeping the team's attack balanced and effective. This collective effort powered Nevada to their hard-fought win against Utah State. 

Nevada will head to Boise, Idaho to take on Boise State on Thursday at 5 p.m.