Match Week Preview
San Diego State (9-20, 7-9 Mountain West) vs. Nevada (8-19, 1-15 Mountain West)
Thursday, November 15, 2018 | 6:00 p.m. PT | Peterson Gym | San Diego, Calif. | Mountain West Network
San Diego State (7-18, 5-7 Mountain West) vs. San Jose State (14-11, 9-7 Mountain West)
Saturday, November 17, 2018 | 6:00 p.m. PT | Peterson Gym | San Diego, Calif. | Mountain West Network
Aztec Storylines
CAPPING OFF 2018: San Diego State wraps up its 2018 season this weekend, hosting Nevada on Thursday at 6:00 p.m. before hosting Senior Night against San Jose State on Saturday at 6:00 p.m. SDSU will honor its lone senior, Deja Harris, in a pregame ceremony on Saturday. Harris, a three-time All-Mountain West honoree with a chance to be the program's first-ever four-time all-MW selection, concludes her career as one of the most decorated players in program history.
SDSU held a 2-1 lead at SJSU earlier this season, but ultimately fell in five sets, 25-17, 22-25, 25-19, 14-25, 12-15. Four different Aztecs posted double-digit kill totals against the Spartans, including Deja Harris (16), Ashlynn Dunbar (14), Hannah Turnlund (12), and Erin Gillcrist (10). SDSU is 5-1 in its last six home matches against SJSU.
Following the SJSU loss, SDSU responded with a four-set win over Nevada, where Erin Gillcrist (15 kills, .429 hit%) and Deja Harris (15 kills, .393 hit%) paced the offense. Ashlynn Dunbar recorded a double double against the Wolf Pack, logging 10 kills and 13 digs. SDSU enters this week having won seven in a row against Nevada.
DEJA HARRIS: Deja Harris concludes a stellar collegiate career this weekend, being a centerpiece for the SDSU volleyball program since her arrival. Harris, who is a three-time all-Mountain West selection, currently stands second in program history in career block assists (473 - seven away from tying Jennifer Miller's (1989-92) record of 480), seventh in block points (307.5), and eighth in career hitting percentage (.320). Her 136 block assists this season are ninth most in a single season at SDSU and Harris' 1266 career kills currently lead all active players in the Mountain West. Harris' total of 269 block assists over the last two years is the second most over a two-year span in program history (Jennifer Miller - 285 in 1989-90).
Among all active Division I players, Harris is fourth with 546 career total blocks, 16th in blocks per set with 1.17, 25th in sets played with 465, and 44th with 1,266 kills.
This season, Harris is seventh in the nation with 157 total blocks. Harris is also sixth in the Mountain West in hitting percentage (.316) and sixth in points per set (3.92), being the only player in the Mountain West to rank inside the top six in both categories.
In addition to honoring Harris in a pregame ceremony on Saturday, SDSU will honor seniors Alexandra Psoma and Alexis Harris, who have spent the 2018 season as undergraduate assistants after their SDSU playing careers.
COMEBACK KIDS AT NEW MEXICO: SDSU pulled off its biggest comeback road win in nearly five years on Saturday, rallying from a 2-0 deficit to defeat New Mexico in Albuquerque in five sets. It marks as the first time SDSU has rallied from a 2-0 hole on the road since Nov. 27, 2013 when the Aztecs did so against Colorado State in Fort Collins. The win for SDSU, which was led by Deja Harris (17 kills, eight blocks) and Ashlynn Dunbar (19 kills), improved SDSU's record to 6-1 in their last seven matches against the Lobos.
The win was SDSU's second of the season when losing the first set.
LOOKING TO EXTEND THE STREAK: With a pair of wins this weekend, SDSU would solidify its ninth consecutive season with a conference record of .500 or better. Entering this season, SDSU is one of two Mountain West teams to have league records of .500 or better in each of the last eight seasons. The Aztecs are joined by only Colorado State.
TURNING THINGS AROUND: Since starting the 2018 season 1-14, SDSU has gone 8-6 in their last 14 matches. Below is a statistical comparison between the team's first 15 matches of the season and the team's last 14 matches.
Statistic First 15 Last 14
W-L Record 1-14 8-6
Hitting Percentage .189 .215
Opp. Hit Percentage .235 .209
Blocks Per Set 2.0 2.5
TETER LEADING THE BACK ROW: Loren Teter has emerged as one of SDSU's defensive leaders late in the season, owning a team-best 3.40 digs per set over the team's last seven matches. Over SDSU's last seven matches, Teter has either led the team or tied for the team lead in digs in six times.
IN IT TIL THE END: SDSU played in its 10th five-set match of the season on Saturday at New Mexico, tying the program record for most five-set matches in a single season (also had 10 five-set matches in 2012 and 2016). SDSU is 5-5 in five-set matches this year, tied for the third most five-set wins in a single season in program history.
NOVEMBER SUCCESS: The Aztecs are 33-20 (.622) in November matches since the 2011 season.
LEADERS IN THE NATION & MOUNTAIN WEST: Both Deja Harris and Ashlynn Dunbar rank inside the Mountain West's top 10 in multiple statistical categories.
Dunbar Nat'l Rank MW Rank
Total Aces: 47 18 4
Harris Nat'l Rank MW Rank
Total Blocks: 157 7 2
Total Points: 455 53 4
Total Kills: 344 133 8
Dunbar's 47 aces also mark as the most by Aztec in a single season since Robyn Gregg recorded 61 in 2002. Gregg, who recorded 76 service aces in 2001 (eighth most for a single season in program history), is the only Aztec in the MW era (since 1999) to have more service aces than Dunbar in a season.