SAN DIEGO – Despite Hannah Turnlund's 21 kills, the San Diego State volleyball team was unable to avoid its fifth straight defeat on Thursday, dropping a narrow five-set decision to Boise State (18-25, 25-16, 22-25, 25-21, 13-15) inside Aztec Court at Peterson Gym.
Collectively, SDSU maintained a slight edge in kills (59-57) and finished with a greater hitting percentage (.225 to .163), but it wasn't enough to prevent the Aztecs from slipping to 9-11 on the year and 2-7 in the Mountain West. The Scarlet and Black also owned a sizable 57-41 advantage in digs, with the two sides notching 14 team blocks apiece.
However, the Broncos served up eight service aces and benefited from seven errant SDSU serves in the close battle, improving to 13-7 overall and 5-4 in conference play.
In addition to Turnlund's production, the Aztecs also received double-digit kills from Victoria O'Sullivan (13) and Erin Gillcrist (11), while Tamia Reeves (7 kills) matched her career-high with eight total blocks, including two solo stops.
Not to be outdone, Camryn Machado recorded her 11th double-double of the year with 51 assists and 14 digs, while Loren Teter finished with 13 scoops of her own.
Trailing 2-1 in sets, the Aztecs captured the fourth frame thanks to a 16-9 advantage in kills as a team. Turnlund launched seven of her non-returnables and committed just two errors in that span. With the score tied at 8-8, SDSU jumped in front for good on kills by Turnlund and Gillcrist sandwiched around a Boise State attack error.
Moments later, the Scarlet and Black increased its advantage to 18-13 before the visitors closed the gap with an 8-4 run. The Broncos capitalized on three errant Aztec attacks and a wayward serve during that stretch, while Lauren Ohlinger knocked down a kill, served up an ace and combined on a block with Alyssa Wissinger to trim the deficit to 22-21.
Undaunted, SDSU stood its ground, closing with three straight points on a Reeves kill and a service ace, while Turnlund followed with the clinching put-away, which set the stage for a dramatic finish.
In the fifth and deciding set, Turnlund hammered down two early kills, while Gillcrist joined forces with Reeves on a block to help stake the hosts to a 5-2 lead.
However, the Aztecs were unable to sustain the momentum, as Boise State responded with a timely 9-3 surge to vault in front to stay. Danielle Boss and Cassedi Simon combined on a block to cap the run following a Jessica Donahue kill.
SDSU pulled to within one on three occasions, including a 14-13 margin on Andrea Walker's kill, but could not regain the upper hand. Shortly thereafter, Ohlinger floored a shot to abruptly end the Aztecs' comeback hopes.
Donahue paced the Broncos with 14 kills and hit .321 for the match, while Ohlinger (13) and Kiley Lewis (12) reached double figures in put-aways as well.
After posting a .059 attack percentage in the first set that was plagued by 10 errors, the Aztecs improved their efficiency in the second stanza, committing just three miscues to finish with a .348 clip (11-3-23). Consecutive block solos by Walker and O'Sullivan sparked a key 5-0 run that broke an early 4-4 tie and put the hosts in front for good.
However, the Aztecs were unable to maintain the same consistency in the third set, falling behind by as many as six points, including an 14-8 deficit following a service error. An 8-4 spurt punctuated by an O'Sullivan kill narrowed the gap to 17-16, but the Scarlet and Black could draw no closer. Boise State then received two put-aways down the stretch from Wissinger, who also combined on a block with Shae Duffy to help keep SDSU at bay.
UP NEXT
San Diego State closes out its two-match homestand on Saturday, Oct. 26, when Utah State invades The Mesa for another Mountain West clash, starting at 2 p.m. PT. The first 250 fans in attendance will receive a free Aztec Halloween candy pail.
Volleyball's Comeback Bid Falls Short vs. Boise State
