Nov. 18, 2010
SAN DIEGO - The San Diego State volleyball team completed a season sweep of UNLV with a three-set (25-20, 25-18, 25-23) victory over the Rebels Thursday evening in Peterson Gym. The match was also most a carbon copy of the one between the teams in Las Vegas three four weeks ago with the Rebels scoring one less total point and the contest lasting two minute longer.
With the win San Diego State improves to 15-14 overall and 7-6 in the Mountain West Conference. UNLV, which lost for the fourth time in its last five outings, fell to 9-20 (4-11 MWC).
Junior Kyley Sexton led San Diego State with 11 kills with freshman Raegan Shelton contributing 10. Senior Lauren Salisbury, in her second game back after missing over a month with a wrist injury, finished with six kills and three blocks while teammates Jessica Peacock and Andrea Hannasch had four books apiece.
UNLV's Moea'i tied for match-high honor with 11 kills while Madeline Westman led all players with seven blocks.
San Diego State jumped out to a 6-1 lead in the opening set and would go on to win the contest by that same five-point margin. UNLV was able to get only within three on three occasions with the last coming at 22-19. But the Aztecs won three of the final four points, finishing with a resounding kill by Hannasch to claim the victory. Salisbury and Shelton had four kills apiece while Moea'i had that same total for the Rebels.
The second set once again saw the Aztecs take the early lead at 6-2, but the visitors fought back to tie the contest at 14-14. At that point SDSU scored three straight points on a pair of setting errors and a hitting error by the Rebels. The Aztecs then stretched a two-point lead at 18-16 into a six-point advantage at 23-17 before getting the final two points on back-to-back kills by Shelton and Salisbury to go up 2-0 in the match.
After the break UNLV came out with the goal of establishing a foothold on the third set. The Rebels accomplished that mission early as they took a 12-7 lead, but saw SDSU slowly work its way back and eventually knot the score at 16-16.The teams stayed within a point of each other with UNLV holding a late 23-22 lead. A kill by Peacock drew SDSU even before a pair of Rebel attack errors provided the final two points as San Diego State captured the set and match.
San Diego State will conclude its 2010 home season with a match against Air Force on Saturday (Nov. 20) at 1:00 p.m. in Peterson Gym. That match will also mark Senior Day as fourth-year Aztecs Kelsey Manasco and Lauren Salisbury will be honored prior to the contest.