LAS VEGAS – The San Diego State volleyball team was unable to maintain its hot start on Friday, falling in four sets to UNLV (25-19, 18-25, 19-25, 15-25) in the second match of a season-opening Mountain West series at Cox Pavilion.
The Aztecs (0-2, 0-2 MW) outhit the Rebels .452 to .242 in the opening frame, knocking down 15 kills with just one error in 31 attempts. However, SDSU stumbled to a .163 clip the rest of way, while UNLV posted a .296 attack percentage during that span, including a .361 pace in the final set.
In all, the Rebels (2-0, 2-0 MW) served up 12 aces and maintained the advantage in kills (55-47) and total blocks (7.0-3.0) to help fuel their victory. Conversely, the Aztecs held a slight edge in digs (58-55) but were plagued by eight errant serves.
Individually, San Diego State was paced by Victoria O'Sullivan, who launched 13 kills and hit .333 for the match, committing just two errors in 33 swings, while Andrea Walker (.316) blasted nine put-aways of her own and contributed two block assists.
The Aztec cause was also aided by Erin Gillcrist, who totaled eight kills and a service ace, while Kennedy Feuerborn displayed her versatility with six kills, 27 assists and a solo block. Not to be outdone, Maddie Lenn anchored the back row with a career-high 18 digs, while Lauren Lee reached double digits as well with 13 scoops of her own.
The two teams combined for six ties and three lead changes in the opening set before SDSU tallied six straight points to snap an 11-11 tie and vault in front for good. The Aztecs benefited from a Rebel attack error and a wayward serve during the run, while Gillcrist knocked down a pair of kills to build a 17-11 bulge.
UNLV was unable to trim the margin any closer than five points for the remainder of the set, as Feuerborn and Walker provided the clinching kills down the stretch.
The Aztecs trailed by three early in the second stanza, but managed to tie the score on four occasions, including a 10-10 deadlock after a Rebel attack error.
However, it was UNLV's turn seize the momentum, as the host school fashioned a 9-3 run to take control. The Rebels received three kills from Shelby Capllonch during that stretch, while Lauryn Burt and Mariena Hayden each added an ace to help forge an insurmountable 19-13 advantage. SDSU could not cut the deficit below five points, as Hayden provided two late kills, while Arien Fafard added another to keep the visitors at bay.
The Aztecs found themselves in pursuit mode during the third set, trailing by as many as six points midway through the frame, including a 13-7 spread following a kill by Macy Smith.
Stung, SDSU fought itself off the ropes with a spirited 9-4 run, sparked by three Gillcrist kills, to narrow the gap to 17-16. Nya Blair and Walker subsequently launched non-returnables of their own to keep the Aztecs within striking distance at 20-18. However, UNLV thwarted the challenge with a 5-1 closing run, as Hayden came up huge with three kills while combining with Kate Brennan on a block to dash any comeback hopes.
SDSU was unable to generate any offense in the fourth frame, totaling just eight kills against five errors in 31 attempts for a .097 hitting percentage. The Aztecs trailed 8-5 before the Rebels reeled off six straight points to put the score effectively out of reach.
Hayden led all players with 15 kills and five aces, while Capllonch completed a double-double with 10 kills and 12 digs. In addition, Paris Oliveira tied SDSU's Lenn for match-high honors with 18 digs, while Macy Smith (.417) had six kills and six total blocks, including two solos.
San Diego State returns home to host Fresno State in back-to-back matches next weekend, Feb. 12-13, at Aztec Court at Peterson Gym.
Aztecs Upended in Four Sets at UNLV
