Nov. 17, 2012
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - San Diego State recorded its 11th straight victory with a hard-fought three-set (26-24, 29-27, 25-16) win over New Mexico at the Johnson Center in Albuquerque Saturday afternoon. The Aztecs improve to 22-7 overall and 12-3 in the Mountain West as a win in their final match next week will give them at least a share of the conference championship.
Senior Andrea Hannasch led SDSU with 13 kills and a pair of service aces as she hit .500 over the three sets. Teammate Emily Harris added nine kills to the Aztec effort and had three blocks as well.
Setter Johnna notched her 10th double-double of the year (and fifth in the last six outings) with 39 assists and 10 digs.
UNM's Chantale Riddle, the league's kill leader, finished with 14 kills on the day to lead all players. Her team, however, hit only .097 for the match compared to .204 for SDSU.
The opening set was a tight one that saw the score tied on 12 occasions before New Mexico opened a six-point lead late in the contest at 23-17. UNM was ahead 24-19 with five chances to close out the contest, but the Aztecs had other ideas as they scored the next seven points to grab the 26-24 victory. That run included two kills by Michelle Waber, one each by Raegan Shelton and Chaiymin Steel and a trio of Lobo hitting errors. Waber and Emily Harris led SDSU with four kills apiece in the set while Riddle and Alijah Gunsaulus had four each for the home side.
In set number two it was San Diego State that had several set point opportunities late as they held a 24-21 lead. The Lobos fought back with four straight points to go ahead 25-24 before SDSU evened the count on a kill by Hannasch. The tams then alternated hitting errors and kills to bring the core to 27-27. At that point a Lobo service error and a service ace by Johnna Fouch gave the Aztecs the two-point win. Riddle had nine of her team's 15 kills in the set, but it wasn't enough as the Aztecs got five from Hannasch to go up 2-0 in the match.
The third set saw San Diego State Race out to a 16-6 advantage and sew up the match victory with a nine-point win, Hannasch again led the Aztec in the game, this time with six kills, two aces and a pair of digs while hitting .750. New Mexico could only muster six kills in the set as it was held to a -.077 attack percentage while the Aztec hit .286.
San Diego State will conclude its 2012 regular season with a contest against Nevada on Tuesday, Nov. 20, at 7:00 p.m. on Aztec Court in Peterson Gym. A win would ensure at least a share of the Mountain West title with Colorado State (11-3 MW), which plays at Boise State tonight and hosts New Mexico next Friday (Nov. 23).