Aug. 31, 2014
HONOLULU - San Diego State won the opening set, but saw Ohio rebound to take the next three as the Bobcats defeated the Aztecs 23-25, 25-19, 25-21, 25-22 at the Chevron Wahine Rainbow Classic at the University of Hawai'i. With the loss SDSU fell to 0-2 while Ohio evened its record at 1-1.
Newcomer Ciara Brown, a transfer from South Florida, led San Diego State with 11 kills along with four digs and three service aces. Junior Halle Aiken added nine kills and six digs.
Senior setter Chloe Mathis turned in SDSU's first double-double of the season with 39 assists and 14 digs while also contributing a pair of aces. In addition, freshman libero Devyn Pritchard had a match-high 22 digs.
All four sets were close in the finals stage and could have gone either way. In the opener neither team led by more than two with the Aztecs trailing most of the way. With the score knotted at 21-21, they scored back-to-back points and were able to maintain that lead and win the contest by two on a kill by Bailey Little.
The Bobcats were led by Kelly Lambert who tallied 22 kills and 10 digs while teammate Jaime Kosiorek chipped in with 10 kills.
Set number two went to 14-all before Ohio ran off four straight points to take command before going on to a six-point win and even the match at one set apiece.
The third set was another close one that saw SDSU take a three-point lead at 18-15. From there the Bobcats took advantage of three Aztec errors and a kill to tie the contest at 19-19. After an Aztec points on a kill by Jensen Cunningham, Ohio scored three consecutive points to go up 23-20 and ended the set on back-to-back kills for the four-point victory.
The fourth set saw San Diego State take the lead at 20-19 before the Bobcats wet on a five-point run to go up 24-20. The Aztecs got back to within tow on tow Ohio errors, but a kill by Kosiorek gave the Bobcats the set and match.
SDSU will wrap up play in Honolulu on Sunday (Auf\g. 31) with a match against 17th-ranked Hawai'i scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. (HT).