LARAMIE, Wyo. – The San Diego State volleyball team opened its season-long road trip on a sour note Thursday, dropping a three-set decision to Wyoming (19-25, 13-25, 22-25) in a Mountain West match at the UniWyo Sports Complex.
The Aztecs were out-hit on the evening .389 to .253, slipping to 9-7 overall and 2-3 in conference play, while the Cowgirls move to 9-7 for the season and 4-1 in the MW.
SDSU maintained the upper hand in team blocks (8.0-5.0), but Wyoming knocked down 14 more kills (49-35) to help fuel its win.
The Aztecs were led by Erin Gillcrist, who finished with nine kills and hit .368, while Andrea Walker (.636) and Hannah Turnlund totaled seven put-aways each. In addition, SDSU received 25 assists and a team-high nine digs from Camryn Machado, while Tamia Reeves led all players with five block assists.
Trailing 15-11 in the opening set, the Aztecs reeled off three straight points, featuring a kill by Abby Pugh, who combined with Walker on a block, while the Cowgirls also committed an attack error.
However, SDSU was unable to draw closer, as Wyoming used a 10-4 closing run to keep the visitors at bay. Faith Waitsman, Tara Traphagan and Halie McArdle supplied two kills apiece for the Cowgirls during that stretch, while the Aztecs lost momentum on a wayward attack and a ball-handling error.
SDSU was unable to recover from a 6-1 deficit in set two, as Jackie McBride floored three early shots for Wyoming, while Madi Fields added a service ace to help give the host school a lead it would not relinquish. The Cowgirls posted their best attack percentage of the night, out-hitting the Aztecs .448 to .207.
The third stanza was a much closer affair as the teams combined for four ties and one lead change. SDSU faced a series of three-point deficits, including a 20-17, following a KC McMahon solo block. The Aztecs trimmed the margin to 21-20 following an errant Wyoming serve, but could not seize complete control. Two late kills by Victoria O'Sullivan were not enough, though, as the Cowgirls held on to complete the sweep.
McBride (.500) led all players with 12 kills, while Traphagan (.529), McMahon (.467) and McArdle finished with 10 each in the victory.
UP NEXT
San Diego State returns to the court on Saturday, Oct. 12, when it faces No. 15 Colorado State, starting at 1 p.m. MT/noon PT.
Volleyball Falls in Three Sets at Wyoming
