SAN DIEGO – San Diego State wraps up its season-long road swing on Saturday, Oct. 19, when it returns to the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains to face Air Force, beginning at 1 p.m. MT/noon PT.
In addition to live stats, a link to streaming video via the Mountain West Network will be available on GoAztecs.com.
QUICK HITS
> SDSU (9-9, 2-5 MW) will be looking to snap a three-match losing streak after suffering 3-0 sweeps at Wyoming, then-No. 15 Colorado State and Fresno State.
> Despite their recent misfortune, the Aztecs have still posted an 18-16 record since Sept. 29, 2018, after starting last season with a 1-14 ledger.
> Saturday's clash will be the first of two meetings between SDSU and Falcons (6-13, 3-4 MW) this year. The rematch is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 14, inside Aztec Court at Peterson Gym.
> San Diego State will be seeking its first true road victory of the season (0-7), while Air Force is just 3-7 at home this year. The Aztecs are 4-0 in neutral-site games this season.
> The Aztecs are 8-1 this year when launching more kills than the opposition and are 5-0 when holding adversaries between a .100 and .200 hitting percentage. The Scarlet and Black is also 6-0 this season when leading 2-1 after three sets.
SERIES RECORD VS. AIR FORCE
> The Aztecs lead the all-time series, 37-7; however, the Falcons have captured five of the last eight meetings.
> In addition, SDSU has lost two straight to Air Force, both on the road, including a 3-0 setback (21-25, 20-25, 25-27) in the lone match between the programs last year.
> Hannah Turnlund led the Scarlet and Black with 12 kills in that encounter at the Academy, while Sam McGrath tied her career-high with 22 digs.
> The Aztecs committed seven more attack errors than the Falcons (23-16), as the hosts finished with a greater hitting percentage (.209 to .119).
> Despite the loss, SDSU still maintains a 15-5 advantage in 20 matches played between the two programs at Air Force.
> Aztec head coach Deitre Collins-Parker collected her 300th career coaching victory against the Falcons at home during the 2017 campaign.
TURNLUND'S TURN
> Senior Hannah Turnlund is rapidly approaching the 1,000-kill plateau for her career, needing just six put-aways to reach that milestone. Entering Saturday's contest at Air Force, the Aztec outside hitter has amassed 994 kills in a Scarlet and Black uniform.
> In addition, Turnlund has accumulated 2,773 attacks for her career, needing just 182 more to move into 10th place on the school's all-time list in that statistic. Angelica Jackson (1984-87) currently ranks 10th in that category with 2,955 attempts for her career.
> Turnlund has posted double-digit kill totals in 11 of 18 matches this season and 52 times in her career.
> Against Florida Gulf Coast on Aug. 31, Turnlund completed a double-double with a personal-best 24 kills to go with a season-high 16 digs, as the Aztecs dropped a narrow five-set decision.
> With that performance, the Morgan Hill, California, native secured a spot on the all-tournament team at the Homewood Suites FGCU Fort Myers Classic.
> Not to be outdone, Turnlund has racked up eight double-doubles over the last two seasons after logging none in her first two years on The Mesa. Among her standout matches was a 23-kill, 21-dig effort vs. Nevada in the next-to-last outing of the 2018 campaign.
WALKER WATCH
> Redshirt sophomore Andrea Walker has been on fire of late, posting a .480 hitting percentage in five matches since cracking the starting lineup vs. UNLV on Oct. 3.
> During that stretch, the Aztec middle blocker has committed just five errors, knocking down 29 kills on 50 attempts to go with 13 total blocks. She hit .636 at Wyoming, blasting a career-high seven kills with no errors on 11 swings.
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
> Air Force (6-13, 3-4 MW) occupies the seventh position in the Mountain West standings after posting a 3-1 victory (25-18, 21-25, 25-16, 25-17) at home over Fresno State on Thursday night. The Falcons recorded a season-best .291 attack percentage against the Bulldogs, as sophomore Bailey Keith knocked down a career-best 18 kills while hitting at a team-high .485 clip. Junior Cambria Galloway also got into the act with 11 kills of her own, while senior Denise Ssozi (10 kills, .304) and sophomore Vittoria Juarez (5 kills, .308) hit over .300 for the night. In addition, Air Force received double-digit dig totals from three players, including junior Andi Ahlers, who registered her ninth double-double of the year with 39 assists and 15 scoops, followed by Ssozi (13) and junior Alex King (11). With her effort, Ssozi also completed her 29th career double-double to set the program's Division I record. For the season, Keith leads the Falcons with 3.09 kills per set, which ranks ninth in the Mountain West, while Ssozi (2.84/set) follows close behind. In addition, King is third in the conference entering the weekend with an average of 4.41 digs per frame, while Ahlers occupies the fourth spot in assists (8.87/set). Elsewhere, freshman Taleah Cooper (43) and Keith (41) lead the team in blocks, respectively, while Ahlers (19) and King (17) own the top two spots on the squad in service aces. As a team, Air Force is averaging 12.14 kills per set and hitting at a .159 pace, which ranks eighth and ninth in the league, respectively. However, the Falcons are allowing the third-fewest kills in the MW (11.66 set) and also rank fifth in service aces (1.43/set). Air Force is guided by Keith Barnett, who was elevated to head coach in the off-season after serving a four-year stint as a Falcons assistant, including the 2018 campaign as the team's associate head coach. Last season, he helped lead Air Force to a 17-15 overall record, its first winning season since 1999, highlighted by a program-best seven conference victories. Prior to his arrival at the Academy, Barnett was an assistant coach at West Texas A&M (2013-14) and the head coach at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs (2009-12). He played collegiately at Pepperdine, where he received second-team All-American honors at setter in 2001.
AZTECS AMONG MOUNTAIN WEST LEADERS
> Entering the fourth weekend of conference play, San Diego State boasts six players among the Mountain West leaders in various categories.
> Tamia Reeves vaulted to the top of the league with a .395 hitting percentage, while Lexie Hamrick actually moved up to eighth with a .303 clip despite missing the last three matches.
> In addition, Camryn Machado is holding down the No. 3 position with an average of 10.18 assists per set, while Hannah Turnlund also occupies the third spot with an average of 3.53 kills per frame.
> Elsewhere, Victoria O'Sullivan (3.28/set) ranks sixth in kills, while Loren Teter is ninth in digs (3.46/set).
> As a team, SDSU ranks among the top half of the conference for all matches in hitting percentage (2nd, .242), assists (3rd, 12.19/set) and kills (3rd, 12.94/set).
ON THE HORIZON
Following Saturday's tilt, San Diego State concludes the first half of its Mountain West schedule next week when it plays host to Boise State and Utah State. The Aztecs will battle Boise State on Thursday, Oct. 24, starting at 6 p.m. PT, before tangling with Utah State on Saturday, Oct. 26, beginning at 2 p.m. PT.
Volleyball Set for Saturday Showdown at Air Force
