SAN DIEGO – The San Diego State volleyball team hits the road for the first time in four weeks when it travels to the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains for a two-match series against Wyoming, March 5-6, inside the UniWyo Sports Complex.
Friday's contest is slated to get underway at 6 p.m. MT/5 p.m. PT, while Saturday's clash is scheduled to start at noon MT/11 a.m. PT. Both matches will feature links to live stats and streaming video via the Mountain West Network on GoAztecs.com.
QUICK HITS
> The Aztecs (3-5, 3-5 MW) are coming off a pair of losses at home to Nevada, falling by a 3-1 count in the opener (25-20, 14-25, 20-25, 15-25) before dropping a three-set decision (21-25, 22-25, 13-25).
> With the results, SDSU finds itself in a three-way tie for seventh in the Mountain West race with New Mexico and Nevada.
> Against the Wolf Pack, the Aztecs were led by freshman outside hitter Heipua Tautua'a, who stepped into the spotlight with an average of 3.14 kills per set (22 overall) and 2.14 digs per frame, highlighted by a career-high 15-kill performance in the opener.
> Conversely, Wyoming (3-5, 3-5 MW) will be wrapping up a four-match homestand against the Aztecs after splitting a pair of encounters last weekend vs. Colorado State in Laramie. The Cowgirls were swept in the opener (28-30, 20-25, 12-25) but regrouped in a big way with a four-set victory in the second match (27-25, 25-19, 23-25, 25-22).
SERIES RECORD VS. WYOMING
> The Aztecs lead the all-time series with the Cowgirls 36-20.
> However, SDSU will be looking to snap a nine-match losing streak at Wyoming. The Scarlet and Black is 10-17 in Laramie since 1990, logging its last victory there in 2009.
> The Aztecs and Cowgirls met just once during the 2019 fall campaign, as the Scarlet and Black experienced a 3-1 setback (19-25, 13-25, 22-25).
> Among 2021 SDSU returners, Erin Gillcrist blasted a team-high nine kills and hit .368 in that match, while Andrea Walker finished with a .636 clip, launching seven put-aways of her own on 11 attempts with no errors.
> SDSU maintained the upper hand in team blocks (8.0-5.0), but Wyoming out-hit the Aztecs .389 to .253 and knocked down 14 more kills (49-35) to help fuel its win.
> San Diego State tried to extend the match but faced a series of three-point deficits in the third set, including a 20-17 spread, before trimming the margin to 21-20 following an errant Cowgirl serve. However, the Aztecs were unable to seize complete control, as two O'Sullivan kills down the stretch proved too little too late.
WYOMING AT A GLANCE
> Picked third in the Mountain West preseason coaches poll, Wyoming (5-3, 5-3 MW) occupies the fourth spot in the latest conference standings after splitting two home matches against Colorado State last weekend, Feb. 26-27. The Cowgirls were unable to avoid a sweep in the opener (28-30, 20-25, 12-25) but rebounded with a four-set triumph in the second encounter (27-25, 25-19, 23-25, 25-22). In the latter contest, Wyoming received a career-high 20 kills from Emersen Cyza, while KC McMahon (13), Jackie McBride (12) and Hailey Zuroske (10) posted double-digit put-aways as well. In addition, Zuroske logged her first career double-double after scooping up a season-best 13 digs; Abby Olson dished out 43 assists, while Erika Jones anchored the back row with a career-high 19 digs. A three-time all-MW selection, McBride ranks second in the conference with a .407 hitting percentage and occupies the fifth spot with 1.32 blocks per set. She also leads the team with 2.64 kills per set (74), followed closely by McMahon (2.50/set, 70 overall). Kaitlyn Gehler also finds herself among the league leaders, ranking fifth with 3.64 digs per set, while Faith Waitsman is eighth with 1.04 blocks per frame. Collectively, the Cowgirls are second in the MW this week in blocks (2.86/set) and own the conference's third-best hitting percentage (.218), while opponents have posted the league's third-worst attack percentage (.173) against them. However, Wyoming ranks just sixth in the MW with 12.14 kills per set and is ninth in service aces (1.39/set). The Cowgirls are coached by Chad Callihan, who is in his seventh season on the Laramie campus after spending five years as head coach at Georgia Southern. He has also served as head coach at Appalachian State and Radford. Callihan's career record stands at 376-213, including a 149-78 mark at Wyoming.
AZTECS AMONG MW LEADERS
> Victoria O'Sullivan remains among the Mountain West statistical leaders, occupying the fifth spot with an average of 3.46 kills per set (79 overall) while ranking seventh with 3.77 points/set (105.5 overall (K-SA-BS-BA/2)). > In addition, Ashley Vanderpan is holding onto to the seventh position this week with an average of 7.27 assists per set.
> 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 37 starts dating back to the 2019 fall campaign.
> Meanwhile, Vanderpan has raised her season average by over two assists after handing out 127 helpers combined (9.07/set) in the last two series vs. New Mexico and Nevada. With her setting, SDSU averaged 14.16 kills in seven sets vs. the Lobos, over 2.5 kills more than its average of 11.64 in the previous four matches.
> Against Nevada on Feb. 26, Vanderpan recorded her second double-double of the year with 34 assists and 12 digs.
> Elsewhere, Lauren Lee has posted double-digit digs in six of eight matches this year, including a season-high 16 in the series finale vs. New Mexico on Feb. 20.
> After a pair of losses last week, the Aztecs dropped to fifth in the MW with an average of 12.29 kills per set for the season and have slid into seventh with 13.82 digs per frame. Conversely, SDSU opponents have posted 12.07 digs per set on Aztec attacks, which ranks next-to-last in the conference, and have managed just 11.54 kills per set against the Scarlet and Black, which is third 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.
> 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.
ON THE HORIZON
> Following this weekend's matches, San Diego State returns to the friendly confines of Aztec Court for a two-match series against Utah State on consecutive nights, March 11-12. Both encounters are scheduled for a 6 p.m. PT start and will be streamed live via the Mountain West Network with a link available on GoAztecs.com.
Aztecs Hit the Road to Face Wyoming This Weekend
