Sept. 2, 2006
SYRACUSE, N.Y. - San Diego State completed a two-day undefeated run at the Big Orange Invitational, coming back to defeat Kentucky, 3-2 (30-23, 22-30, 30-32, 30-25, 15-10), Saturday evening at Syracuse's Manley Field House. By winning for the third time in three tries during the tourney, SDSU improved to 4-3 on the year. For the Wildcats, it was the first loss of the season as their record fell to 3-1.
Aztec right side hitter Audra Dent was named the tournament MVP while outside hitter Stephanie Darnall and libero Aime Cordeiro were named to the all-tourney team as well.
In the win over the Wildcats, Dent led the Aztecs with 16 kills and five blocks while teammate Melanie Greene recorded her second double-double of the year with 14 kills and 12 digs. In addition, Darnall added the first double-double of her young college career with 15 kills and 11 digs. Another first-year Aztec, Bailee Hellwig, added a career-best seven blocks along with eight kills and a pair of digs.
For Kentucky, Nicole Britenriker was one of four players to reach double figures in kills with 25, and she added a team-high 16 digs for the double-double effort.
In the first game, San Diego State took control of a tight affair late at 21-19 by scoring nine of the final 13 points. Of SDSU's final nine points, two came on kills by Hellwig, one on a kill by Kelley Wahlin, and the remainder on attack and service errors by the Wildcats. Darnall had three of SDSU's 11 kills in the contest.
Kentucky dominated the second game with a .385 hitting percentage compared to .088 for the Aztecs. With the scored tied 5-5, UK outscored SDSU 12-5 to take control and go on to the eight-point victory. Britenriker had eight kills to lead the Wildcats while no Aztec had more than two in the contest.
Game three saw the teams separated by two points or less over the final two-thirds of the game with SDSU saving a game point on a kill by Dent to make the score 29-29. After the teams traded scores, Kentucky got the final two points on a kill by Britenriker and a service ace by Julie Gagnon. Darnall led the Aztecs with six kills, a figure matched by the Wildcats' Queen Nzenwa.
Trailing two games to one, San Diego State came back behind seven kills by senior Audra Dent in the fourth game for a five-point win in game four. SDSU saw a 22-14 evaporate to a two-point advantage (27-25), before closing out the game on a kill by Darnall, a Wildcat attack error and a service ace by Dent.
In the decisive game five, the score went to 7-all before San Diego State scored three straight points on kills by Dent and Greene plus a Kentucky hitting error. The Aztecs were in control from that point, finishing off the match on a kills by the same two players.
Up next for SDSU is a trip to the state of Oregon next weekend for the Salbasgeon Suite Invitational. The Aztecs open that event at Oregon State on Friday, Sept. 8, at 7:00 p.m. (PDT). The next night (Sept. 9), they will travel to Eugene, Ore., to take on the University of Oregon, also at 7:00 p.m. (PDT).