SAN DIEGO – Despite double-digit kills from three players, the San Diego State volleyball team came up short in its crosstown battle with No. 25 San Diego on Saturday, dropping a four-set decision (25-20, 20-25, 20-25, 18-25) in front of another packed house inside Aztec Court at Peterson Gym.
The Aztecs (1-7) maintained the upper hand in kills (57-49) and digs (63-51) but were plagued by 27 attack errors and trailed in team blocks (15.0-7.0) en route to their fourth straight defeat. SDSU hit .203 for the match but ran out of steam in the final two sets when it posted a collective .129 efficiency.
Victoria O'Sullivan led all players with a season-best 19 kills and hit .349 for the night, while Mikea Labno finished with 11 put-aways of her own, followed by Heipua Tautua'a, who recorded her second career double-double with 10 non-returnables and 12 digs. Setter Noa Miller also accomplished the identical feat for the first time in a Scarlet and Black uniform after finishing with a season-high 28 assists and 11 digs.
In addition, SDSU defensive efforts were paced by Natalie Smith, who posted her second-best dig total of the year with 21 scoops, while Labno and Sara Mukaj contributed three blocks apiece, including two solo stops by the former.
On the flip side, the Toreros (5-2) were paced by the two-pronged attack of Kylie Pries (17) and Grace Frohling (15), who combined for 32 of the team's 49 kills, while Leyla Blackwell was an unstoppable force at the net, totaling nine blocks, including a pair of solo stuffs.
Pries also notched a double-double with a team-best 11 digs, while Isadora Terçariol duplicated the act with a match-high 40 assists and 10 digs to help lift USD to victory.
The Aztecs recorded their highest hitting percentage of the evening with a .282 efficiency in the opening set, knocking down 18 kills on 39 attempts with seven errors, while limiting the Toreros to a .083 clip (8-5-36). O'Sullivan fueled the SDSU offense with five kills in the frame, while Labno and Zoi Faki added four apiece.
Save for a 1-0 deficit and a pair of early ties, the Aztecs led throughout the set, utilizing an 8-3 surge to break open a tight 11-8 score. O'Sullivan floored three shots during that span, while Faki combined with Julia Haynie on a block and later added a solo stuff to help the host school forge a 19-11 advantage.
USD crawled back into contention with an 8-2 blitz of its own, as a Terçariol service ace narrowed the gap to 22-19. However, SDSU maintained the upper hand down the stretch, as Miller served up an ace, while Haynie and Tautua'a provided key kills to secure the set.
The teams combined for eight ties and four lead changes in the second stanza, with the Toreros vaulting in front for good at 15-13 after an errant Aztec serve and a Frohling kill. Pries became a veritable one-person wrecking crew at this juncture, posting three kills and consecutive aces to USD some additional separation at 21-15. SDSU never drew closer than four points the rest of the way, as a Frohling kill provided the clinching point to even the match.
O'Sullivan gave the Aztecs early momentum with three kills in the third set, while Labno and Faki supplied one apiece to keep the hosts within one at 8-7. However, USD scored six straight points to seize control. Terçariol and Blackwell each came up with a solo block during the run, with the latter joining forces with Frohling on another. Despite three additional O'Sullivan kills and another two by Labno, coupled with a late Tautua'a service ace, the deficit proved too much to overcome.
Collectively, the Aztecs registered five more kills than the Toreros in the set (15-10); however, the Scarlet and Black imploded with 10 attack errors for a .135 hitting percentage, while USD committed just three miscues.
SDSU's offensive woes continued in the fourth frame, with the Aztecs knocking down just 10 kills on 33 swings with six errors for a .121 clip. Still, the hosts forged a 9-7 lead, thanks to the efforts of Mukaj, who combined with Tautua'a on a pair of blocks, followed by a kill and a service ace. However, the Toreros seized the momentum with a timely 8-3 run to take the lead for good. Anna Hester posted three kills during that stretch, while Pries supplied two more.
The Aztecs kept battling to extend the match, with a kill by Tautua'a trimming the margin to 17-15. USD ultimately quashed the Scarlet and Black's comeback hopes with another opportunistic 8-3 closing run to end the affair. Blackwell rose to the occasion with a kill and two blocks, including a combined effort with Hester, while Frohling and Pries tallied the final two Torero points on kills.
San Diego State returns to the court on Tuesday, Sept. 14, when it travels up the freeway to face Long Beach State, starting at 7 p.m. PT