TUCSON, Ariz. – The San Diego State volleyball team fell after battling Lipscomb (22-25, 24-26, 25-27) for three closely-battled sets on the final day of the Cactus Classic at the McKale Center on Saturday morning.
SDSU (1-5) played the match using junior outside hitter and leading point scorer Ashlynn Dunbar as its primary setter. Dunbar started her morning at setter with 10 assists in the first set, helping Hannah Turnlund record five kills in the first with an increased workload at outside hitter. SDSU started the set with an 11-10 lead, but after a tightly-contested stretch brought the score to 19-19, Lipscomb (4-2) went on a 4-1 run to put the game out of reach and clinch the set, 25-22.
The Aztecs started the second set on a red-hot 11-2 run, led by a trio of kills by Victoria O'Sullivan and a pair of scores from Emily Burns. After the Bison took a timeout, Lipscomb went on a 7-4 run to cut SDSU's lead to 15-9. The Bison eventually drew the score to a 23-23 tie after going point for point on four consecutive services and to end the set, Turnlund logged her seventh kill of the match to bring the score to 24-24. Lipscomb used a Carlyle Nusbaum kill and an SDSU attack error to take the set, 26-24.
SDSU again built a lead in the third set, as the Aztecs battled back from a 14-11 deficit with a 7-0 run featuring kills by Turnlund and Erin Gillcrist to take a 18-14 lead. Momentum continued to stay with the Aztecs with SDSU holding a 24-21 lead late in the set, but the Bison used a SDSU service error, a service ace, and an SDSU attack error to force overtime. Turnlund's team-leading 13th kill of the morning gave SDSU a 25-24 lead, but Lipscomb ended the match on a 3-0 run to win the set, 27-25.
Turnlund led SDSU in both kills, with 13, and in digs, with nine. Dunbar finished the day with 25 assists in her collegiate debut at the setter position, while Deja Harris logged eight kills on 15 swings with a match-high six blocks.
NOTES
- Despite having lost each of its last six sets, SDSU has held a lead in at least a portion of all six of those games.
UP NEXT
SDSU participates in the Outriggers Volleyball Challenge hosted by the University of Hawai'i next weekend. The Aztecs kick off action in the Aloha State next Thursday at 4:45 HT in an early-season rematch against Portland.