SAN DIEGO – The San Diego State volleyball team played well in spots on Friday against No. 16 UCLA but was unable to avoid a 3-0 setback (17-25, 18-25, 13-25) in its 2021 home opener in front an enthusiastic crowd inside Aztec Court at Peterson Gym.
The Aztecs (1-6) kept within striking distance in each of the first two sets; however, the Bruins used an efficient attack, timely runs and a tight defense to keep the host school at bay.
SDSU was outhit .346 to .056 for the match, while UCLA maintained a statistical advantage in kills (39-28), team blocks (13.0-7.0) and digs (29-27) to help key its victory.
Victoria O'Sullivan surpassed double figures in kills for the fifth straight match after posting a team-high 10 put-aways to go with a trio of blocks, including one solo stop, while Sara Mukaj and Julia Haynie totaled three block assists apiece.
In addition, Heipua Tautua'a launched seven kills, while Natalie Smith tied for match-high honors with 11 digs, marking the sixth time in seven outings she has reached the double-digit plateau in that category. Smith also dealt a pair of service aces, while Noa Miller finished with 17 assists.
Conversely, the Bruins (5-1) were paced by Mac May's match-high 14 kills, while Francesca Alupei was a forced at the net with eight total blocks, including two solo stops. UCLA also received a significant contribution from Anna Dodson, who totaled eight kills and five blocks assists while hitting .500 on the night, while Shelby Martin led all players with 30 assists and three service aces.
The Aztecs trailed 10-5 in the opening set on a kill by Charitie Luper before the Scarlet and Black fashioned an 8-4 run to trim the margin to one at 14-13. Tautua'a blasted two kills during that stretch, while Haynie added another, followed by a Smith service ace.
However, SDSU was unable to seize the upper hand after May and Lexi Hadrych knocked down consecutive kills for the Bruins, forcing the Aztecs into pursuit mode for the rest of the way. The host school remained within three points on three occasions, including a 19-16 spread after a Tautua'a kill. Shortly thereafter, UCLA uncorked a 6-1 closing run to secure the set, as Dodson and Martin combined on a pair of blocks, while Alupei provided the clincher with a solo stop.
The Bruins logged their best efficiency of the match in that set, hitting at a .500 clip with just two errors on 24 swings. On the flip side, SDSU kept up for the most part with 13 put-aways but was plagued by nine errors on 33 attempts for a .121 pace.
Undaunted, the Aztecs went back to work in the second stanza, building a 12-8 lead on a kill by Zoi Faki and a solo block by O'Sullivan. However, the Bruins responded with an 8-2 spurt, jumping in front 16-14 after an Alupei kill. After an errant UCLA serve, SDSU received a combined block from Mukaj and Mikela Labno to tie the score, but the Aztecs' momentum was promptly derailed by their own wayward serve, while Luper followed with another kill to put the visitors in front for good at 18-16. The Bruins soon pulled away down the stretch on another errant serve by SDSU, while Dodson combined on a pair of blocks with Martin and May, respectively.
The Aztecs were unable to recover from a 10-1 deficit to start the third set, as May totaled three kills during that stretch, while Martin added two aces to give the visitors an insurmountable lead. SDSU was limited to just six kills on 24 attempts in the frame, committing five errors for a .042 efficiency, while UCLA hit .478 with 14 kills and three miscues on 23 swings to complete the sweep.
San Diego State will have little time to dwell on its defeat, as No. 25 San Diego invades Aztec Court at Peterson Gym on Saturday night, starting at 7 p.m. PT. The first 250 fans in attendance at the Aztecs-Toreros clash will receive a free red SDSU T-Shirt. USD (4-2) upset UCLA at home in five sets on Thursday night.