Sept. 2, 2006
SYRACUSE, N.Y. - The San Diego State volleyball team continued play at the Big Orange Invitational Saturday afternoon as it defeated the host Syracuse Orange in three games (30-19, 30-23, 30-26). The win was the second of the tournament for SDSU, which improved to 3-3. Syracuse saw its record fall to 2-5.
Aztec freshman Stephanie Darnall led all players with 12 kills and hit over the .400 mark (.435) for the second straight match. Seniors Audra Dent and Melanie Greene tallied 11 kills apiece, with Dent adding 11 digs to record her first double-double of the young season.
SDSU was also dominant at the net, with Kelley Wahlin notching a personal career-best six blocks. The Aztecs finished with 10 team blocks on the night while Syracuse had just four.
For the home side, Emily Kaier and Cheryl Cobbina had 11 kills each for the Orange, which hit .135 over the three games compared to .279 for San Diego State.
After a slow start in the opening game, SDSU put together a pair of multiple-point runs in the middle of the contest to take a 24-15 lead en route to an 11-point victory. The Aztecs hit .433 in the game while holding the Orange to a .077 attack percentage. Dent led SDSU with five kills.
The second game saw Syracuse jump to an early lead and maintain that advantage until San Diego State knotted the score at 12-12. After each team scored a point, the Aztecs won three straight on a service error and kills by Darnall and setter Leah Lathrop. They added to that margin over the rest of the contest, winning by seven points. Darnall had four kills to while Kaier had four for the Orange.
The first half of game three was dead even with the teams tied at 15-15. SDSU then scored three points and was able to hold that lead through the remainder of the contest. Darnall added six kills to her total while Melanie Green chipped in with five.
San Diego State is scheduled to conclude play at the Big Orange Invitational later Saturday evening when it takes on Kentucky at 5:00 p.m. (EDT).