Nov. 20, 2010
SAN DIEGO - In a match that marked the final home contest for a pair of seniors, fourth-year Aztecs Kelsey Manasco and Lauren Salisbury helped lead San Diego State to a three-set (25-21, 25-22, 25-20) win over Air Force Saturday afternoon in Peterson Gym. It was a match filled with offensive flavor as San Diego State recorded a .394 hitting percentage while Air Force finished with a .366 team attack mark.
With the victory, SDSU improved to 16-14 overall and 8-6 in the Mountain West Conference. Air Force saw its record fall to 4-24 (1-14 MWC).
Manasco finished the day with 12 kills and set a career-high hitting percentage in her final home contest with a .611 mark. She also contributed four digs, two assists and a service ace. Fellow senior Salisbury recorded eight kills, two blocks and a dig along with a .412 attack percentage.
Aztec freshman Raegan Shelton led all players with 14 kills over the three sets while hitting .429. Middle blocker Andrea Hannasch matched Salisbury's kill total of eight and also had a pair of service aces and five digs. In addition, frosh setter Johnna Fouch had 39 assists and three kills.
Air Force was led by 13 kills from Annalyse Schmitt and 12 by Caroline Kurtz.
The opening set was a tight affair that had the teams tied as late at 16-all. SDSU then scored three straight points on a kill by Shelton and a pair of Air Force attack errors. The Aztecs led the rest of the way although the Falcons were able to get within a point at 16-15 before SDSU pulled away for the four-point win. Manasco led all players with six kills.
The second set saw Air Force grab an early 3-1 lead before the Aztecs ran off seven straight points to go up 8-1. The Falcons, however, slowly worked themselves back into the contest and trailed by only one at 21-20. But kills by Hannasch and Shelton plus two errors by the visitors allowed SDSU to claim the win and go up two sets to none in the match. Salisbury had five kills for the Aztecs, a number matched by Kurtz for Air Force.
Set number three was another close contest with San Diego State holding a slim lead over the first half of the game. Air Force eventually drew even at 17-17, but a kill by Shelton plus a Falcon setting error gave SDSU a lead it would not relinquish. Although Air Force got to within a point at 19-18, SDSU was able to win six of the final eight points with Salisbury fittingly providing the match-winning kill.
San Diego State will conclude its 2010 season with a two-match road trip next week that begins with a contest at TCU on Wednesday, Nov. 24, at 7:00 p.m.