LAS VEGAS – The visiting San Diego State volleyball team posted one of its most thrilling victories of the season on Saturday with a 3-1 upset of UNLV (28-26, 27-25, 20-25, 27-25) in a Mountain West match at Cox Pavilion.
With the win, the Aztecs (12-11, 5-7 MW) claimed their third straight victory and snapped the Rebels' nine-match winning streak in the process. In addition, SDSU put the brakes on a three-match slide vs. UNLV (13-10, 9-3 MW) and emerged triumphant in Las Vegas for the first time in six trips dating back to 2012.
The Aztecs received double-digit kills from three players in the closely fought battle, including 16 put-aways from Hannah Turnlund, who also equaled her career-high with 21 digs to complete her sixth double-double of the season.
The SDSU cause was also advanced by Victoria O'Sullivan, who finished with 13 kills on the afternoon, while Andrea Walker launched a personal-best 12 non-returnables of her own to go with five block assists. Not to be outdone, Camryn Machado dished out 50 assists in a four-set match for the second time this year, while Loren Teter provided another consistent effort along the back row with 19 digs.
Collectively, the Aztecs maintained the advantage in kills (58-56), digs (74-64) and team blocks (12.0-9.0), with O'Sullivan and Tamia Reeves providing two solo stuffs apiece. Despite committing 34 attack errors, the Scarlet and Black also benefited from 11 errant Rebel serves, which offset eight aces by the hosts.
The two sides combined for 15 ties and seven lead changes in the first set alone, with SDSU building a 17-12 bulge following a Reeves kill. However, the Rebels fought back to forge a 24-24 tie, as an Erin Davis put-away capped a 12-7 run. Fortunately for the Aztecs, UNLV was unable to seize the upper hand, self-destructing on a wayward serve and an attack error, while O'Sullivan and Turnlund alternated kills during a 4-2 closing spurt.
The second stanza was no less dramatic, as the teams witnessed 10 additional ties and three lead changes. SDSU found itself trailing by four points on four separate occasions, including an 11-7 margin after an errant attack. However, the visitors methodically battled back to reach set point at 24-23 following a Turnlund kill.
Moments later, UNLV seemed poised to steal the set after Mariena Hayden blasted two quick kills, but the Aztecs countered with a Walker put-away to diffuse the momentum. Stung, the Rebels shot themselves in the proverbial foot on the next two serves, suffering a bad set and an attack error, which allowed SDSU to escape.
The third set was a statistical anomaly, as the Aztecs maintained a 15-7 advantage in kills but still found themselves on the wrong side of a 25-20 score in the frame. UNLV benefited from 13 attack errors during that span and served up five aces while totaling three blocks.
With its lead in sets whittled to 2-1, SDSU posted its best hitting percentage of the match in the fourth frame at .323, knocking down 15 kills on 31 attempts with just five errors. O'Sullivan (5) and Walker (4) combined for nine of those non-returnables, while Turnlund served up an ace.
However, the Aztecs remained in a tight battle, as the sides combined for 12 ties and two lead changes. SDSU put itself in excellent position down the stretch, utilizing a 6-2 run to break a 15-15 logjam. Kills by Erin Gillcrist, Reeves and Walker, sprinkled amongst three errant Rebel attacks, gave the Scarlet and Black a 21-17 advantage late.
UNLV twice rallied to tie the score, including a 25-25 deadlock following a Shelby Capllonch kill. The Aztecs survived the threat, however, as O'Sullivan and Turnlund provided the clinching points on consecutive put-aways.
As a result, SDSU improves to 6-2 on the year in four-set matches and moves to 7-0 overall when capturing the first two sets. In all, the teams combined for a whopping 42 ties and 16 lead changes in the nearly 2 ½ hour affair.
UNLV was led by Hayden (17 kills, 12 digs) and Capllonch (15 kills, 13 digs), who each logged a double-double, while Antonette Rolda (28 assists, 3 aces) and Lauryn Burt (20 assists) split time at setter.
UP NEXT
San Diego State opens a four-match homestand on Thursday, Nov. 7, when it welcomes Wyoming to The Mesa for another Mountain West clash, starting at 6 p.m. PT.
Volleyball Takes Down UNLV in Four Sets
