Nov. 25, 2014
LAS VEGAS, Nev. - San Diego State played four close sets, but eventually came up on the short end of a 3-1 decision at UNLV Tuesday night in the Aztecs' 2014 season finale. The Rebels prevailed by set scores of 25-23, 25-27, 25-21, 25-19, but SDSU made them earn a hard-fought victory.
With the loss San Diego State ends the year with a record of 14-15 overall and 9-9 in the Mountain West. It marks the fifth straight year that SDSU has finished at .500 or better in league play. UNLV, meanwhile improved to 26-7 (14-4 MW).
SDSU outside hitter Alexis Cage led all players with 22 kills and 22.0 points in the match, both career highs for the redshirt freshman. Junior transfer Ciara Brown notched her first double-double of the season with 13 kills and a career-best 11 digs.
Setter Courtney Eckenrode also registered a double-double effort, her eighth of the season, with 55 assists and 14 digs with her assist total being a career best. She also tied her personal best with four kills over the four sets. In addition, libero Devyn Pritchard ended the night with 19 digs and a career-high four assists.
Senior Chaiymin Steel led all payers with 20 digs and also had three service aces as she equaled her career highs in both categories in her final match as an Aztec.
The opening set saw the Rebels jump out to a 7-2 lead only to see the Aztecs come back to tie the contest at 11-11. The teams stayed with a point or two of each other all the way until 23-23 when UNLV got a kill by Alyssa Wing and a service ace from Ceannia Kincade to grab the two-point victory.
In the second set, UNLV put together a four-point run midway through the contest to take a 15-10 lead. SDSU, however, rebounded to tie the set at 21-21. After the teams traded points until the score read 25-all, the Aztecs got back-to-back kills from Brown to claim the set and even the match at one apiece.
The third set was another tight affair as UNLV held the lead for most of the contest before SDSU rallied to knot the score at 20-20. But UNLV scored five of the ensuing six points to win the game by four. Those final five points came on three of Aztec hitting miscues and two kills by the Rebels' Bree Hammel.
In the fourth set it was San Diego State that got out to the quick early lead as it held a 7-2 advantage in the opening stages. UNLV slowly got back into the contest, tying the set at 15-15. With the scoreboard reading 18-18, the Rebels registered three consecutive points take a lead they would not relinquish as the home side tallied seven of the contest's final eight points to claim the set and match victory.