SAN DIEGO – The San Diego State volleyball team gave head coach Brent Hilliard his first victory patrolling the Aztec sidelines on Saturday with a 3-0 sweep over Fresno State (25-19, 26-24, 25-20) in the final match of a weekend series inside Aztec Court at Peterson Gym.
SDSU (1-3, 1-3 MW) maintained a 41-29 advantage in kills, limiting Bulldogs to a .060 hitting percentage, as the visitors committed 22 errors on the day. In addition, the Aztecs held the statistical edge in digs (58-50) and team blocks (9.0-8.0) to break into the win column for the first time this spring.
Individually, the Scarlet and Black was once again led by Victoria O'Sullivan, who launched a team-high 11 kills, breaking the double-digit plateau in that category for the fourth match in a row and 25th time in her last 33 outings dating back to last season. The SDSU offense also received a boost from Andrea Walker (.389) and Nya Blair (.375), who committed just one attack error apiece, blasting eight and seven put-aways, respectively.
Not to be outdone, a trio of Aztecs reached double figures in digs, including Lauren Lee (13), Heipua Tautua'a (11) and Ashley Vanderpan (11), with the latter notching her first career double-double after dishing out 30 assists as well.
Trailing 3-2 in the opening set, SDSU vaulted in front for good on three consecutive kills by O'Sullivan, which sparked a 14-7 run. Walker also floored two shots during that stretch and combined with O'Sullivan on a block to help give the host school a 16-10 advantage. However, the Aztecs nearly self-destructed at this juncture, committing four attack errors to go with a wayward serve, which helped Fresno State (1-1, 1-1 MW) to cut the deficit to 17-16.
Unfazed, SDSU withstood the challenge, closing with an 8-3 surge to keep the visitors at bay. Tautua'a highlighted the run with two kills and a solo block, while Nadia Barcklay finished off the frame with a service ace.
The second stanza evolved into a classic thriller, with the two teams combining for 12 ties and nine lead changes. Things looked bleak for the Aztecs late in the set when they found themselves staring down the barrel of a 24-21 deficit. However, the Scarlet and Black flashed its mettle once again, as O'Sullivan contributed two kills and a solo block to ignite a timely 5-0 blitz. Blair added another key put-away, while the Bulldogs imploded with an attack error on the final serve.
The third set was also a nip-and-tuck affair, as the two sides witnessed five ties in the early going. However, the Scarlet and Black took the lead for good after a Blair kill and service ace followed by an O'Sullivan non-returnable, which broke a 12-12 deadlock. SDSU upped its advantage to four on two occasions, including a 20-16 spread after another Blair kill.
Fresno State answered with three straight points, capped by Amaria Kelly's kill following her combined block with Rebecca Rendahl and Desiree Sukhov's ace. Following a timeout, the Aztecs rose to the occasion once again, with Walker and Vanderpan joining forces on a pair of blocks down the stretch, while O'Sullivan fittingly ended the match with a kill.
After finishing with 18 kills on Friday night, Sukhov managed just eight put-aways in the series finale, hitting minus-.029 after committing nine errors in 34 attempts. Kelley led the Bulldogs with 10 kills, while Jocelyn Rodriguez posted a match-high 16 digs. In addition, Julia Handy completed a double-double with 26 assist and 10 digs in the defeat.
San Diego State continues its spring schedule next weekend when it squares off against New Mexico in a another two-match series. Details for location and starting times are expected to be finalized in the coming days.
Aztecs Complete Saturday Sweep Over Fresno State
