Sept. 14, 2013
SAN DIEGO - The San Diego state volleyball team capped of the 2013 Holiday Inn Mission Valley Aztec Invitational with a decisive three-set (26-24, 25-17, 25-18) victory over the University of San Francisco (4-5) Saturday night on Aztec Court in Peterson Gym. The win improved SDSU to 5-4 on the season as it handed the Dons their only loss of the tournament. The win also helped atone for a loss earlier in the day to Northeastern
SDSU finished 2-1 in the two day event while USF went 3-1 in the five-team tourney. The Dons were the only team to play four matches as the Aztecs, Harvard, Northeastern and SMU all played three contests. The latter three schools all ended the weekend with marks of 1-2 at the Invitational.
Against San Francisco, SDSU was led by 11 kills by Emily Harris, who also had eight blocks. The performance helped her earn all-tournament honors along with teammates Michelle Waber and Summer Nash. Waber and Nash both tallied 10 kills and a pair of blocks against the Dons.
Over the Aztecs' three matches on the weekend, Nash averaged 3.83 kills and 1.67 digs per set while Waber had 3.42 kills and .50 blocks per set along with a .316 hitting percentage. Harris, meanwhile, led all tourney players with an average of 1.42 blocks per set and also recorded 2.83 digs per set while hitting at a .429 clip.
Earlier in the day San Diego State saw a two-set lead go by the wayside as it fell to Northeastern in five sets by scores of 25-18, 25-22, 17-25, 19-25 and 14-16. It was the fourth time in the first nine outings this season that SDSU had gone five sets in a match and their record in those contests now stands at 1-3.
Nash led the Aztecs as she tied her career high with 21 kills and completed a double-double with 13 digs. Waber had 13 kills while Courtney Vaccarello matched Nash's dig total with 13.
In the fifth and deciding set, the Aztecs took a quick 3-0 lead, but the Huskies tied the contest at 4-4. From there the lead went back and forth with neither side able to gain a two-point advantage. SDSU had the first chance to claim the match when it led 14-13, but an attack error tied the contest at 14-all. Northeastern then got a kill from Janelle Tucker and another Aztec hitting error to close out the set and match.
Up next for San Diego State is a short trip across town to take on No. 5 University of San Diego. That match is set for Tuesday, Sept. 17, at 7:00 p.m. at the Jenny Craig Pavilion on the USD campus.