SAN DIEGO – After a brief road trip, the San Diego State volleyball team returns to "America's Finest City" this week when it plays host to Utah State for a two-match series, March 11-12, inside Aztec Court at Peterson Gym. Both matches are slated to begin at 6 p.m. PT and will feature links to live stats and streaming video via the Mountain West Network on GoAztecs.com.
UPDATE (March 11): The Aztecs were forced to move Thursday's match to Jenny Craig Pavilion on the USD campus due to a roof leak at SDSU's Peterson Gym. Consequently, there will be no live stream on the Mountain West Network for the opening match of the series. Arrangements for Friday's finale are pending upon the conditions at Peterson Gym.
QUICK HITS
> The Aztecs (3-7, 3-7 MW) are mired in season-long four-match losing streak after dropping a pair of 3-0 decisions at Wyoming last weekend.
> SDSU gave the Cowgirls all they could handle in the first match on March 5. However, Wyoming benefited from 12 Aztec service errors on the night, winning by set scores of 25-19, 26-24, 25-22.
> The following day marked the 1,500th match in San Diego State volleyball history since the program was elevated to varsity status in 1976., However, the Aztecs were unable to muster up enough offense, as Wyoming emerged triumphant by set scores of 25-19, 25-14, 25-18 win. The Cowgirls were once again an eager beneficiaries, this time from 25 SDSU errors.
> With the results, SDSU remains in a three-way tie for seventh in the Mountain West race with New Mexico and Nevada.
> Conversely, Utah State (1-6, 1-6 MW) still occupies the basement of the conference standings after falling to MW leader UNLV in a single home match last weekend in three sets (20-25, 19-25, 16-25). The second meeting between the Aggies and Rebels was canceled after a COVID-19 issue within the UNLV program, according to the Mountain West.
SERIES RECORD VS. UTAH STATE
> The Aztecs lead the all-time series with the Aggies 17-6.
> San Diego State has won five straight vs. Utah State after winning both encounters during the 2019 fall campaign.
> Last season, the Aztecs posted a home sweep (25-19, 25-20, 25-22) on Oct. 26, 2019, before posting a 3-1 road victory (25-18, 29-27, 17-25, 25-20) in the penultimate match of the year on Nov. 21, 2019.
> With the results, the Scarlet and Black remains unbeaten at 11-0 all-time vs. the Aggies in San Diego. In addition, SDSU owns a 4-3 record against USU in Logan and is 2-3 vs. the Aggies on a neutral floor.
> Among 2021 Aztec returners, Victoria O'Sullivan led all players with 17 kills in the last match between the two programs, while Andrea Walker added a career-high 13 put-aways to go with six block assists.
> Despite trailing by a substantial margin in team blocks (21.0 to 9.0), SDSU maintained the statistical advantage in kills (62-47) and digs (68-45) to help fuel its victory, as the Aztecs secured their sixth winning season in the last nine years. San Diego State's 62 kills and 60 assists as a team both represented 2019 season highs for a four-set match.
> In the previous clash a month earlier, the Aztecs established their season-high for a three-set match with 46 kills as a team, while their 42 assists was tied for the top spot in a three-setter.
UTAH STATE AT A GLANCE
> Utah State (1-6, 1-6 MW) has played just seven matches this season, posting its lone victory with a four-set thriller (26-28, 25-23, 25-18, 27-25) at Fresno State on Feb. 27. The Aggies fell short in their last match, dropping a three-set decision (20-25, 19-25, 16-25) at home to league-leading UNLV on March 4. However, their second clash against the Rebels, scheduled for the following day, was canceled due to a COVID-19 issue within the UNLV program, according to the conference. Individually, USU is led by outside hitter Kristy Frank, who is averaging 3.53 kills per set (60 overall), which ranks fourth in the Mountain West this week. In her first appearance since Feb. 13, Frank totaled 14 put-aways, five digs and a service ace vs. UNLV. Three additional Aggie players are averaging over two kills per set, including Corinne Larsen (2.68), Bailey Downing (2.28) and Tatum Stall (2.24). A middle blocker, Larsen has anchored USU's efforts at the net with a team-best 1.28 blocks per set (32 overall), which ranks fourth in the league. Elsewhere, setter Kalena Vaivai finds herself among the MW leaders, occupying the third spot with 9.21 assists per set, while Abby Peterson owns a team-best 3.32 digs per frame (83 overall). Collectively, the Aggies are averaging 11.88 kills, which ranks eighth in the conference just behind the Aztecs (12.09), while their .148 hitting percentage is second to last. On the flip side, Utah State has held its own on defense, leading the league with an average of 15.72 digs per set while ranking sixth in blocks with 2.08 per frame. The Aggies are guided by first-year head coach Rob Neilson, who arrived on the Logan campus after serving as the lead assistant coach for the U.S. men's national team from 2017-19. Prior to his stint with Team USA, Neilson spent 10 years on the Brigham Young men's volleyball coaching staff, including the final two as the program's associate head coach in 2014-15. In 2011, he served as the Cougars' interim head coach, leading the squad to a 20-8 record and a No. 2 national ranking. Neilson played collegiately at BYU from 2003-06, starting at setter during the 2005 and 2006 campaigns. He was a member of the Cougars' 2004 national championship team and tallied 2,790 assists in his career, which ranks fifth in the BYU record book in the rally scoring era.
AZTECS AMONG MW LEADERS
> Despite combining for just 14 kills in two matches at Wyoming, Victoria O'Sullivan remains among the Mountain West statistical leaders, occupying the seventh position with an average of 3.26 kills per set (111 overall).
> In addition, Lauren Lee has climbed into the sixth spot with 3.62 digs per set, while Ashley Vanderpan finds herself in the sixth slot as well with 6.91 assists per frame.
> O'Sullivan had her streak of double-digit kills this season snapped at seven matches on Feb. 27, but has still logged 10 or more put-aways in 28 of her last 39 appearances dating back to the 2019 fall campaign.
> O'Sullivan is tied for the fourth-highest kill total for a single match in the Mountain West this season and is tied for the second-most in that category for a four-set contest after launching 20 non-returnables in the Aztecs' 3-1 triumph at home over New Mexico on Feb. 20.
> Lee has scooped up double-digit digs in eight of 10 matches this year, including a season-high 16 in the Aztecs' four-set victory in their series finale vs. New Mexico.
> Last weekend at Wyoming, Lee averaged 4.67 digs in six sets played, raising her season average from 3.39 to 3.62 scoops per frame.
> Meanwhile, Vanderpan recorded 30 or more assists in four straight matches from Feb. 13-26, lifting SDSU to a 3-1 record during that stretch. Her 38 helpers in a sweep of New Mexico on Feb. 19 rank as the second-highest assist total for a three-set match in the MW so far this season.
> With Vanderpan setting, SDSU averaged 14.16 kills in seven sets during their series vs. the Lobos, over 2.5 kills more than its average of 11.64 in the previous four matches.
> In the midst of a four-match losing streak, the Aztecs dropped to seventh in the MW with an average of 12.09 kills per set for the season and have slid into seventh with 13.82 digs per frame. Conversely, SDSU opponents have posted 12.39 digs per set on Aztec attacks, which ranks last in the conference, and have managed just 11.88 kills per set against the Scarlet and Black, which is fourth from the bottom in the league.
NOTABLE
> Victoria O'Sullivan's consecutive match streak of double-digit kills was snapped at nine dating back to the fall of 2019 after she registered just five put-aways vs. Nevada on Feb. 27. Still, the SDSU outside hitter has logged 10 or more kills in 28 of her last 37 appearances.
> Setter Ashley Vanderpan owns the Aztecs' two double-doubles this season vs. Fresno State on Feb. 13 (30 assists, 11 digs) and against Nevada on Feb. 26 (34 assists, 12 digs), marking the first two times she's accomplished the feat during her career.
> Since taking over the starting duties at setter five matches ago, Vanderpan has averaged 9.24 assists and 2.12 digs in 17 sets.
> The 22 digs posted by Heipua Tautua'a vs. New Mexico on Feb. 20 marked the highest total for an Aztec since Loren Teter scooped up 24 in a narrow five-set loss at Florida Gulf Coast on Aug. 31, 2019.
> The 15 kills by Tautua'a against Nevada on Feb. 26 marked the first time in seven matches this season that an SDSU player other than O'Sullivan led the team in that statistic.
> Erin Gillcrist logged her two highest hitting percentages of the season vs. New Mexico (.750) on Feb. 20 and against Nevada (.500) on Feb. 26, combining for 16 kills on 26 swings with just one error in those two matches.
> The Aztecs had three players collect double-digit kills in the first match vs. Nevada on Feb. 26—Heipua Tautua'a (15), Victoria O'Sullivan (13), Erin Gillcrist (10)—but still fell short. Last season, SDSU went 8-3 when three players reached double figures in that statistic.
> In all three of their victories this season, the Aztecs have grabbed a 2-0 lead in sets.
> In her first collegiate appearance, Gabriella Spaethling came off the bench in the fourth set against Nevada on Feb. 26 and recorded her first career kill and dig.
> SDSU is one of just four Mountain West teams not to have played a five-set match this season, joining Colorado State, Nevada and UNLV.
> Through six matches in 2019, the Aztecs completed three five-set nail-biters, falling at Florida Gulf Coast before edging West Virginia and Arkansas at home.
NOTHIN' LIKE HOME COOKIN'
> Since the beginning of the 2009 campaign, the Aztecs have amassed a 107-54 (.665) record at home, highlighted by a 14-0 mark during the 2012 season when SDSU captured the Mountain West championship.
ON THE HORIZON
Following this weekend's matches, San Diego State hits the road for a single match at Boise State on Saturday, March 20, starting at noon MT/11 a.m. PT.
Aztecs Set for Home Series vs. Utah State
