PHOENIX – The San Diego State volleyball team opened the GCU Invitational Friday with a 3-1 triumph over UC Riverside (25-13, 25-20, 19-25, 25-19) in a non-conference clash at GCU Arena on the campus of Grand Canyon University.
With the victory, the Aztecs raise their record to 5-2 on the year, matching the 2012 squad for the program's best seven-game start to a season in the last 10 years. Meanwhile, the Highlanders slip to 3-4 overall.
SDSU's Hannah Turnlund led all players with 17 kills to go with a .310 hitting percentage, while Victoria O'Sullivan (.312) topped the double-digit plateau for the seventh straight contest after launching 13 non-returnables of her own.
In addition, setter Camryn Machado logged her fifth double-double on the season with 43 assists and 13 digs, tying Loren Teter in the latter statistic for match-high honors.
As a team, the Aztecs outhit UCR .328 to .192 and maintained the upper hand in most categories, including kills (53-46), assists (51-44), digs (53-44) and total blocks (5.0-3.0), with Machado and Lexie Hamrick assisting on three stuffs apiece.
SDSU set the tone early, committing just one attack error in 26 attempts in the first set while blasting 13 kills for a .462 hitting percentage. Conversely, the Highlanders stumbled out the gates with seven errant swings compared to just nine kills, hitting just .067 for the frame. Still, the Aztecs nursed a slim 8-6 lead, but unleashed a timely 11-3 blitz to take control. The Scarlet and Black capitalized on four errors and two bad sets by UCR during the run, while Hamrick and O'Sullivan teamed up on a block. Moments later, Turnlund blasted two kills down the stretch to put the set on ice.
The second stanza was a much tighter affair as the two sides combined for nine ties and one lead change. With the score knotted at 15-15, San Diego State took the lead for good on a Turnlund kills, while the Highlanders self-destructed with two straight attack errors. UCR narrowed the gap to one on two separate occasions, including a 20-19 spread following an Aztec service mishap. However, Turnlund came through in the clutch once again, slamming three put-aways during a 4-1 closing surge by SDSU.
The Highlanders avoided the sweep after outhitting the Aztecs .345 to .097 in the third set. UCR never trailed in the frame, receiving six kills from Ayla Fresenius while benefiting from eight San Diego State hitting errors. The Highlanders built a seemingly comfortable 15-6 advantage after a kill by Ashley Dittman. However, the Aztecs would not go quietly, eventually trimming the deficit to 22-19, with Turnlund and Hamrick supplying two put-aways apiece to key a 13-7 surge. SDSU ran out of steam at this juncture, as UCR tallied the final three points, capped by Mylei Vargas-Deason's solo block.
Stung, the Aztecs scored the first three points of the fourth set and never looked back, ultimately forging an insurmountable 21-12 lead following a Machado service ace. Turnlund smashed four kills during that span, while O'Sullivan hit three, as the Highlanders were unable to draw any closer than five points the rest of the way.
UCR was led by Dittman's 15 kills, while Fresenius added 13 while posting a .478 hitting percentage. In addition, the Highlanders received 12 digs from Tara Eaton, while Dejah Dade (27 assists) and Morgan Kline (14 assists) split time at setter.
UP NEXT
San Diego State will face two opponents on Saturday to wrap up the GCU Invitational, squaring off against Eastern Washington at 10 a.m. MST/PDT, before locking horns with host Grand Canyon at 7 p.m. MST/PDT. The Aztecs-Lopes showdown will feature a streaming video link, available on GoAztecs.com.
Volleyball Topples UC Riverside in Four Sets
