SAN JOSE, Calif. – The San Diego State volleyball team fell short in its final road match of the 2021 spring campaign, dropping a 3-0 decision on Saturday at San José State by set scores of 18-25, 18-25, 17-25 inside Spartan Gym.
The Aztecs (5-9, 5-9 MW) were out-hit .372 to .169, while the Spartans (6-8, 6-8 MW) maintained a sizable 43-29 advantage in kills to go with a 34-28 spread in digs and a 6.0-4.0 edge in team blocks to help fuel their win.
SDSU was led by Victoria O'Sulllivan's eight kills, while Heipua Tautua'a displayed her versatility with seven put-aways of her own to go with eight digs and a pair of blocks, including a solo stop.
In addition, the Aztec cause was aided by Nya Blair and Erin Gillcrist (3 block assists), who finished with five kills apiece, while Ashley Vanderpan dished out 16 assists and tied Gillcrist for team-high honors with two aces. Lauren Lee also got into the act with nine digs to anchor the back row.
The teams combined for five ties and three lead changes, as SDSU nursed a slim 11-10 advantage following a Vanderpan service ace. However, SJSU vaulted in front for good with three straight points on consecutive kills by Allyson Alden and Haylee Nelson, while Latahevai Lousi followed with an ace.
The Aztecs pulled to within 18-15 after a Tautua'a kill but could not draw any closer, as the Spartans displayed their finishing kick with a 7-3 run to clinch the set. Lousi knocked down two kills during that stretch, while Nelson added another while joining forces with Alden on a block.
SDSU hit .286 for the set, blasting 12 kills on 28 attempts with just four errors; however, SJSU out-performed the visitors, committing no errors in the frame on 30 swings while launching 15 non-returnables for a .500 clip.
The Aztecs didn't fare much better for the remainder of the contest, hitting just .109 over the last two sets, including a .036 clip in the second stanza, when the Scarlet and Black totaled eight kills against seven errors on 28 attempts.
With the score tied at 5-5, the Spartans fashioned a 7-1 spurt to take the lead. Lousi tallied four kills during that stretch and came up with a solo block, while Ryann Thomison served up an ace.
Trailing 12-6, SDSU countered with a 10-4 run of its own, forging a 16-16 tie following consecutive kills by Gillcrist and O'Sullivan. However, the Aztecs were unable to seize the upper hand, as the visitors committed three attack errors down the stretch, while Lousi and Alden combined on a block during SJSU's 9-2 closing run. Nelson knocked down two kills during that span as well, while Mia Schafer tallied the clinching points on back-to-back aces.
In the third set, SDSU found itself in pursuit mode for much of the frame, as the Spartans built an insurmountable 18-9 lead following an Alden kill. The Aztecs tried to rally after a 6-2 surge, capped by Serena Hodson's put-away and a Lee service ace, which trimmed the margin to 20-15. However, the deficit proved too much to overcome, as two Lousi kills and a pair of Thomison aces helped keep the Scarlet and Black at bay.
Lousi led all players with 16 kills, while Nelson knocked down 13 in the victory. In addition, Alden (8 kills) hit .727 for the day with no errors in 11 attempts, while Thomison posted a match-high four aces.
San Diego State closes out its 2021 spring campaign next week when it plays host to Air Force on Thursday, April 1, followed by a home clash with Colorado State on Saturday, April 3.
Aztecs Fall at San José State
