SAN DIEGO – The San Diego State volleyball team opened the home portion of its spring schedule on a sour note Friday, falling to Fresno State by a 3-1 count (25-22, 16-25, 18-25, 18-25) inside Aztec Court at Peterson Gym.
The Aztecs (0-3, 0-3 MW) matched the Bulldogs with 45 kills and held a sizable 51-36 advantage in digs but were undone by 34 attack errors, hitting just .087 for the night, compared to the visitors, who finished with a .246 clip and maintained the upper hand in team blocks (17-10) to with nine service aces.
Victoria O'Sullivan was the lone player for the Scarlet and Black to surpass the double-digit kill barrier, launching a team-high 11 non-returnables, while Andrea Walker totaled eight put-aways of her own while contributing four total blocks.
Erin Gillcrist and Maddie Lenn also got into the act with seven kills apiece, while Lauren Lee anchored the back row with a match-high 15 digs. In addition, Kennedy Feuerborn dished out a team-best 26 assists.
The two sides combined for 14 ties and five lead changes in the opening frame, as O'Sullivan got off to a blistering start with seven kills on eight attempts with one error for a .750 hitting percentage.
SDSU found itself on the wrong side of an 18-16 score following a pair of aces by Savanah Smith before righting the ship with a strong 9-4 closing run to escape with the set. O'Sullivan took charge with four kills down the stretch, while Heipua Tautua'a added another after a solo block by Feuerborn. In addition, the Aztecs benefited from a Bulldog attack error, a bad set and a wayward serve.
SDSU was unable to ride that momentum into the second stanza, however, as Fresno State gave itself some separation with a 16-8 surge to break an early 2-2 deadlock. Desiree Sukhov totaled four kills during that stretch, while Rebecca Rendahl combined for four blocks, including two with Amaria Kelley, to help give the Bulldogs an 18-10 lead they would not relinquish.
Stung, the Aztecs were victimized by three aces early in the third set, while Sukhov, Smith and Grace Doyle provided kills to give Fresno State a 12-5 advantage. SDSU narrowed the gap to four on three occasions, including a 16-12 spread after an errant Bulldog serve. However, the hosts could draw no closer, as Fresno State used a 9-6 closing run to keep the Aztecs at bay.
SDSU was thwarted in its bid to extend the match, knocking down just 10 kills in the fourth set, while the Bulldogs hit at a .357 pace (14-4-28) to stymie any comeback hopes. The Aztecs were unable to muster any meaningful runs early on, falling behind 16-6 after Smith's third ace of the evening.
The Scarlet and Black flashed its resolve at this juncture, fashioning a 10-4 surge to cut the margin to four. Tautua'a blasted a pair of kills, while Walker and O'Sullivan added one each to bring the Aztecs to within 20-16. However, Fresno State countered with a 5-2 spurt to end the night, highlighted Doyle's two kills and a combined block with Smith.
Sukhov led all players with 18 kills, while Doyle (10 kills) and Rendahl finished with seven blocks apiece. In addition, Julia Handy dished out a match-high 38 assists, while Smith totaled 11 digs in the victory.
San Diego State closes out its weekend set vs. Fresno State on Saturday, starting at 2 p.m. PT.
Aztecs Fall to Fresno State in Home Opener
