Aug. 25, 2006
SAN DIEGO - San Diego State began its 2006 volleyball campaign with a 3-1 (29-31, 30-24, 27-30, 30-28) loss to Cal State Northridge in the opening round of the Aztec Invitational in Peterson Gym Friday night. It was the season opener for both sides and saw SDSU lose its season opener for the first time in three years.
Aztec freshman newcomer Stephanie Darnall led all players with 19 kills while seniors Melanie Greene and Audra Dent tallied 14 and 10 respectively. Aztecs Leah Lathrop and Kristen Castillo shared duties at the setter position., each playing two games. Castillo totaled 25 assists while Lathrop was one behind at 24.
All-MWC libero Aime Cordeiro took up where she left off a year ago with a 30-dig performance in her season debut. It was the third game of her three-year Aztec career in which she had amassed 30 or more digs. Only former SDSU standout Jackie Mendez had more, with four 30-dig efforts.
For Cal State Northridge, four players finished in double figures in kills led by Harmony Burdine with 16. Both Burdine (13 digs) and teammate Angela Hupp (12 kills, 11 digs) recorded double doubles.
The Aztec struggled offensively through the first two games before finding their rhythm in the third contest. On the night, SDSU hit just .164 as a team while the Matadors forged a .290 attack percentage.
San Diego State got off to a quick start in the opening game, running out to an 8-1 lead as Melanie Greene opened the contest with a kill, then served five straight points. However, the visitors fought their way back into the game, eventually knotting the score at 19-19. The Matadors led 29-26, but SDSU rattled of three straight points to send the game to extra time, but an Aztec service error and subsequent SDSU hitting error gave CSUN the 31-20 win. Greene and Audra Dent tallied five kills apiece while the Matadors' Harmony Burdine and Anglea Hupp had four apiece. SDSU struggled on attack, hitting just .029 for the match.
The second game was a back-and-forth affair. San Diego State's biggest lead came at 18-15, but Northridge won six straight points to take control of the contest. A pair of kills by Darla Donaldson, one each from Kelley Hanson and Amy Hultner plus a pair of Aztec attack errors gave the Matadors a lead they would not relinquish. SDSU freshman Stephanie Darnall led all players in the game with six kills, but CSUN won nine of the final 13 points to wrap up the game.
In game three, the Matadors took an early lead and held a 16-11 advantage before the Aztecs made their move. After pulling to within a point at 16-15, the teams traded points until, at 24-24, SDSU ran off five straight points and won the game (30-27) on a kill by Darnall, her team-leading seventh of the game.
San Diego State jumped out to a 16-9 lead in the fourth game, only to see it slowly dwindle as the Matadors pulled to within a point at 24-23. The Aztecs maintained a one- or two-point lead until CSUN evened the score at 27-27. After each side scored a point, Northridge closed out the game and match on a kill by Hanson and a combination block by Darla Donaldson and Hilary Brinkman.
In the first Aztec Invitational match of the day on Friday, the University of San Diego defeated Hofstra, 3-0 (30-27, 30-21, 30-26).
The Aztecs continue action early Saturday morning when they face Hofstra at 10:00 a.m. in Peterson Gym. They close out the tournament that evening with a match against cross-town rival University of San Diego.