Sept. 1, 2007
HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. - After winning the first two games of the match, San Diego State saw Hofstra come back to tie the match at two apiece before defeating the Pride, 3-2 (30-27, 30-21, 21-30, 28-30, 15-11), in the final match of the Hofstra/Asics Invitational in Hempstead, N.Y. The win improved SDSU to 4-2 on the year and was the third five-game effort of the season in six matches this season for the Aztecs.
The loss was the first of 2007 for the Hofstra which saw its record move to 5-1. Despite the loss, the Pride was declared tourney champ base on its total number of games won (eight) compared to SDSU (seven) after both schools ended the Invitational with 2-1 records.
San Diego State was led by redshirt freshman Hannah Evans, who notched her fourth double-double of the season with 16 kills and 15 digs. Evans was one of four Aztecs to finish in double figures in kills as she was joined by Stephanie Darnall (14), Lauren Salisbury (12) and Lindsey Mahan (11).
Darnall was one of two SDSU players named to the all-tournament team after averaging 3.17 kills, 2.75 digs and 0.33 blocks over the three matches. She was joined on the all-tourney squad by senior libero Aime Cordeiro who recorded 6.42 digs per game during the weekend.
Hofstra's Amanda Beyersdorff and Harmonie Calinda led all players with 19 kills apiece while Lauren Engle chipped in with a dozen. Libero Shellane Ogoshi led the defense with 39 digs.
In the match, SDSU followed the same script in each of the first two games, taking the lead midway through each contest. Over those two games, Evans had nine kills, Darnall had six and Cordeiro notched 21 digs.
In game three, the home side began it comeback by taking a 14-12 lead, scoring four straight points and going on to the nine-point win. SDSU hit just .159 for the contest, the same percentage they had in game one. However, Hofstra stepped up with .342 attack percentage to dominate the game.
The Aztecs appeared headed for the match win in game four as they took a 27-24 lead late in the contest. However, the Pride scored the next five points on a pair of kills, a service ace and two SDSU attack errors. After SDSU pulled to within 29-28, Hofstra put the game away on a kill by Beyersdorff and knotted the match at two games apiece.
In the deciding fifth game, the Aztecs took the lead at 3-2 and extended it to 10-5 before the teams traded points the rest of the way. Darnall finished off the match with her 14th kill of the evening to give her side the victory.
Up next for San Diego State is a trip to Texas where it will compete in the Islander Holiday Inn-Easter Beach Invitational at Corpus Christi. The Aztecs will open play on Friday (Sept 7) against the host Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders followed by matches against Texas-Pan American and Northern Illinois the next day.