Aug. 29, 2009
SEATTLE, Wash. - After opening the season with a pair of wins, the San Diego State volleyball team was swept by fourth-ranked Washington (25-17, 25-19, 25-17) in the finale of The Invitational in Seattle, Washington at UW's Bank of America Arena. The Huskies, who improved to 3-0, were undefeated tourney champs while the Aztecs (2-1) finished second in the four-team event.
Washington, which reached the Elite Eight of last season's NCAA Tournament, had three players finish in double figures in kills led by Jill Collymore with 16. The Huskies compiled a .300 hitting percentage for the match while holding SDSU to a .109 mark.
Kyley Sexton led San Diego State with 10 kills with Paije Pearson finishing the evening with five. Three others (Andrea Hannasch, Lauren Salisbury and Hannah Evans) recorded four apiece as the visitors finished with a total of 27 compared to 47 for UW.
Aztec libero Kristi Jackels turned in a season-best 18 digs and finished with an average of 4.00 digs per set over the Aztecs three matches during the Invitational.
Although Washington led in most statistical categories, the Aztecs matched the Huskies with five team blocks as Hannasch, Salisbury, Sexton and setter Lauren Van Orden had two individual blocks apiece.
In each of the first two sets, San Diego State stayed even with the Huskies just past the middle of the contest. In the opening set, the teams were tied at 14-14 before Collymore put down five straight kills to allow UW to pull away.
In game two, the score was knotted at 15-all when Becky Perry and Bianca Rowland had back-to-back kills to send the home side on the way to victory.
Washington took control of the third set early, running out to a 7-2 lead and building on that advantage as it closed out the match with an eight-point set win.
Up next for the Aztecs is a trip to the Bay Area to participate in the USF Asics/Coca-Cola Challenge. SDSU will open tourney play against host University of San Francisco on Friday, Sept. 4, at noon before facing Rice that evening at 5:00 p.m.