SAN DIEGO – The San Diego State volleyball team closed off the home portion of its 2019 schedule in style Thursday with a thrilling four-set conquest of Air Force (25-18, 23-25, 25-23, 25-22) to highlight the program's Senior Night festivities.
With the victory, the Aztecs won their second straight and snapped a three-match losing streak against the Falcons, improving to 14-13 overall and 7-9 in the Mountain West, while Air Force dropped its fifth in a row, falling to 8-19 on the year and 5-10 in conference play.
Neither side hit particularly well, as SDSU finished with a .193 attack percentage compared to the Falcons' .183 clip. However, the Aztecs owned a slight advantage in kills (54-48) and team blocks (11.0-10.0) to help secure their victory. In addition, SDSU was the beneficiary of 11 Air Force service errors and maintained the upper hand in digs (52-46).
Individually, the Aztecs received a boost from one its seniors in Hannah Turnlund, who blasted a team-high 13 kills in her final home appearance, while junior Erin Gillcrist (.318, 6 block assists) and redshirt sophomore Andrea Walker recorded 10 put-aways apiece.
Senior Tamia Reeves also got into the act with nine kills to go with a match-high seven block assists, while fellow classmate Loren Teter scooped up 13 digs, marking the 21st time this season she has reached double figures in that category.
Not to be outdone, redshirt sophomore Camryn Machado logged her 13th double-double of the year with 47 assists and 10 digs, while another sophomore Victoria O'Sullivan contributed eight kills and three block assists.
SDSU posted its highest hitting percentage of the night with a .290 pace in the opening set, knocking down 14 kills on 31 attempts with five errors. The Aztecs shared the wealth during the frame, as Walker, Reeves, O'Sullivan and Gillcrist launched three non-returnables each.
The Scarlet and Black found itself on the wrong side of a 10-9 tally but reeled off four straight points to take the lead for good, as Gillcrist and Reeves combined on a block to cap the run.
Air Force crept to within one on three occasions, including a 16-15 spread following kill by Vittoria Juarez. However, the Falcons imploded down the stretch with three attack errors and a bad set, as SDSU closed with a 9-4 surge to keep the visitors at bay.
The two teams slugged it out over the remaining three sets, combining for 32 ties and 11 lead changes, not to mention several long rallies during that stretch. The second stanza witnessed 16 deadlocks and five lead changes alone until Air Force ultimately prevailed. In addition to posting more kills (14-12), the Falcons were aided by four service aces.
The Academy owned its biggest lead of the set at 19-16 after Bailey Keith and Cambria Galloway joined forces on a block. The Aztecs remained in contention, forging a series of ties, including a 23-23 stalemate following an O'Sullivan kill. However, SDSU was unable to gain the upper hand, as Denise Ssozi knocked down a kill, while Lily Landis served up an ace, allowing the Falcons to escape.
In the third set, Air Force jumped out to a 9-5 advantage before the Aztecs fought themselves off the ropes with a timely 12-6 run to vault in front for good. Shortly thereafter, SDSU stretched the margin to 20-17 thanks to a Falcon service error, one of their six in the set. Air Force trimmed the margin to one on three occasions, including a 24-23 margin after a Landis kill. However, Turnlund quickly dashed the Falcons' comeback hopes with a thunderous kill, which set the stage for the decisive fourth set.
Perhaps inspired by her clinching point, Turnlund became a hitting machine in the final frame, flooring six balls with just one error (.385), while O'Sullivan, Reeves and Gillcrist contributed three kills each.
It wasn't easy at first, as the Aztecs had to overcome a 14-12 deficit. However, SDSU proved it was up to the challenge, fashioning an 8-3 spurt to take the lead for good. Turnlund punctuated the run with back-to-back kills, while Gillcrist previously added two.
Moments later, Turnlund blasted two more non-returnables to give the Scarlet and Black a 22-18 advantage. Then, in a seemingly symbolic passing of the torch, it was a true freshman who accounted for the Aztecs' final three points, as Nya Blair came through with a solo block and a pair of kills to clinch the hard-fought victory.
Ssozi paced the Falcons with a match-high 14 kills, while Juarez (.357) finished with 13 put-aways in the defeat. In addition, Alex King led all players with 20 digs, while Mackenzie Robertson chipped in four block assists.
NOTABLE
Following the match, SDSU paid tribute to its senior class, celebrating the accomplishments of Emily Burns, Sam McGrath, Loren Teter, Tamia Reeves and Hannah Turnlund.
With her 36 attacks, Turnlund moved into ninth place in program history with 3,080 attacks for her career.
The Aztecs improved to 9-1 on the year when holding a 2-1 lead after three sets.
SDSU won for just the third time this year (3-5) when hitting below .200 for a match.
UP NEXT
San Diego State hits the road for its final two matches of the regular season next week when it travels to Utah State on Thursday, Nov. 21, before venturing to Boise State on Saturday, Nov. 23.
Volleyball Grounds Air Force on Senior Night
