Aug. 24, 2012
SAN DIEGO - The San Diego State volleyball team got its season off to a perfect start as it defeated visiting Delaware, 3-0 (25-13, 25-20, 29-27) Friday evening on Aztec court in Peterson Gym. The match also marked the season opener for the Blue Hens, who were coming off a 2011 campaign that saw them advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
A trio of SDSU players finished the contest in double figures in kills led by sophomore Michelle Waber with 16. The transfer from Hawai'i also notched three blocks, fours digs and a service ace in her Aztec debut. Veterans Andrea Hannasch (six blocks) and Summer Nash had 11 kills apiece.
San Diego State rotated its setters with junior Johnna Fouch and Arizona transfer Chloe Mathis splitting time. Both proved equally effective as Fouch compiled 24 assists and seven digs while Mathis contributed 20 assists and five digs.
Elsewhere on the court, sophomore Chaiymin Steel match Hannasch's block total with six and also chipped in with eight kills while senior libero Kristi Jacks led all players with 14 digs over the three sets.
Katie Hank led the Blue Hens with a dozen kills, but the visitors hit just .117 for the match compared to San Diego State's .316 team attack percentage.
San Diego State wasted little time in getting on top in the opening set as it ran out to a quick 8-3 lead en route to a 12-point margin of victory. The Aztecs hit .469 for the game while holding the Blue Hens to a -.034 attack percentage as the visitors totaled only five kills in the set. Hannasch led SDSU with five kills and a pair of blocks while teammates Waber and Steel (three blocks) tallied four kills apiece.
The second set proved to be a much closer affair as Delaware found its rhythm, taking an 8-7 lead and increasing that to a four-point advantage at 17-13. From there a kill and ace by Nash plus a pair of Blue Hen hitting errors allowed SDSU to tie the game at 17-17. Delaware responded by taking two of the next three points to go up 20-18, but the Aztecs then ran off seven straight points fueled by four kills by Waber to win the set.
In the third set, the Aztecs went up 4-3 and held the lead until Delaware fought back to knot the score at 23-23. A kill by Chelsea Lawrence gave the Blue Hens their first of what would be four opportunities for set point. SDSU, however, was not to be denied, and with the set tied at 27-27 it got back-to-back kills from Waber to claim the set and match victories. Both she and Nash led the way with five kills in the final contest.
Up next for San Diego State is a meeting with 17th-ranked California in the final match of the Aztec Invitational Saturday evening at 7:00 p.m. on Aztec Court in Peterson Gym. The Golden Bears will face Delaware in the day's opening match at 1:00 p.m.