Sept. 16, 2014
SAN DIEGO, Calif. - San Diego State played three close games against 19th-ranked University of San Diego, but had little to show for it as the Toreros downed the Aztecs in three sets (25-21, 26-24, 25-19) Tuesday evening on Aztec Court in Peterson Gym. The loss snapped a three-match winning streak for SDSU, which saw its record fall to 3-4. USD, meanwhile, ended a two-game losing streak to improve to 6-3.
Ciara Brown led the Aztecs with nine kills and a .467 hitting percentage. Redshirt freshman Cassie O'Hara, making her first career start as an Aztec, responded with six kills, three blocks and a pair of digs. O'Hara's kill total was matched by teammate Chaiymin Steel, who also added three blocks, five digs, three assists and a service ace to her final stat line.
Senior setter Chloe Mathis finished with 25 assists and 10 digs as she recorded her fifth double-double in seven matches this season. Freshman libero Devyn Pritchard led all players in the match with 11 digs and also had a pair of assists.
Alaysia Brown was the Toreros' top offensive player with 14 kills as her team ended the evening with a .255 hitting percentage compared to .172 for the Aztecs.
After both teams scored a point in the opening set, USD ran off six in a row to take control. Five of those points came on kills with the other courtesy of an SDSU setting error. The Aztecs were able to get within three at 17-14, but could get no closer the rest of the way. Alexa Banker led the visitors with four kills and a pair of blocks while three Aztecs chipped in with three kills apiece.
The second set saw San Diego State jump out to a 5-1 advantage and hold the lead until the visitors caught up at 18-18. From there the Toreros scored three straight to go up 21-18, but the Aztecs fought back to eventually tie the contest at 24-24 after having faced two set points. But a kill by Alaysia Brown and an SDSU attack error allowed USD to escape with the two-point win. Brown had 10 of the Toreros' 17 kills in the set while the Aztecs were led by six from Ciara Brown.
Set number three saw the teams level at 9-9 before USD used four straight Aztec attack errors to go up 13-9. The teams traded points over the next portion of the contest and SDSU still trailed by four at 22-18. The Toreros then score three of the ensuing four points to win the set and secure the match victory. San Diego State managed only six total kills in the game while hitting just -.031.
The Aztecs will now prepare to travel to Tuscaloosa, Ala., for the Crimson-White Tournament at the University of Alabama this weekend (Sept. 19-20). Other teams participating in the tourney include Clemson and Florida International with SDSU opening play against Clemson on Friday at 2:30 (CT).