SAN DIEGO – The San Diego State volleyball team returns to action on Tuesday when it travels up the freeway to face Long Beach State in a non-conference match at Walter Pyramid in Long Beach, California. First serve is set for 7 p.m. PT. In addition to live stats, a link to subscription video streaming will be available on GoAztecs.com.
In front of electric crowds, SDSU opened its 2021 home slate last weekend against a pair of ranked opponents at Aztec Court, falling to then-No. 16 UCLA in three sets (17, 18-25, 13-25), before suffering a 3-1 setback to then-No. 25 San Diego (25-20, 20-25, 20-25, 18-25).
In its last outing against the Toreros, SDSU had three players record double-digit kills, including senior Victoria O'Sullivan, who launched a match-high 19 non-returnables and hit .349, while freshman Mikela Labno collected 11, followed by sophomore Heipua Tautua'a, who totaled 10 kills and 12 digs for her second career double-double.
In addition, senior transfer Noa Miller logged her first double-double as an Aztec with a season-high 28 assists and 11 digs, while fellow classmate Natalie Smith led all competitors with 21 scoops, marking her second-best total of the year.
Despite holding the statistical advantage in kills (57-49) and digs (63-51), SDSU was undone by 27 attack errors and was out-blocked (15.0-7.0) en route to its fourth straight loss.
For the season, O'Sullivan leads the Aztecs with 3.31 kills per set (96 overall), which ranks sixth in the Mountain West, while senior transfer Zoi Faki (2.48) is also averaging over two put-aways per frame, as well as Labno (2.25) and Tautua'a (2.14). Smith also finds herself among the MW leaders, occupying the fourth spot in digs (4.24/set), while Miller has climbed into the seventh position this week in assists (6.17/set).
As a team, SDSU ranks fourth in the conference with 13.28 digs per set while standing in the seventh spot in kills (12.14/set), assists (11.34/set) and hitting percentage (.194).
Long Beach State enters Tuesday's contest with a 4-5 record after dropping two of three matches at the Cougar Challenge last week in Pullman, Washington, where it sandwiched a narrow 3-2 victory over Gonzaga between a pair of 3-0 sweeps at the hands of Washington State and Northern Iowa respectively. Last month, the Beach was picked to finish fourth in the Big West preseason coaches poll behind Hawai'i, Cal Poly and UC Santa Barbara.
Individually, LBSU is led by junior outside hitter Kashauna Williams, who leads the Big West with an average of 4.61 kills per set (166 overall), while freshman outside hitter Erykah Lovett tops the conference with 17 service aces (0.47/set) and ranks seventh with 3.08 kills per set (111 overall).
In addition, sophomore libero Nicole Hoff occupies the fifth spot in the Big West with an average of 4.00 digs per set (144 overall), while freshman Kasia Partyka (8.73 assists/set) and sophomore Tia Chavira (7.53 assists/set) split the setting duties, ranking seventh and eighth in the league this week, respectively. At the net, Long Beach State is paced by freshman Kameron Bacon, who has totaled a team-high 26 blocks, followed by senior Miranda Canez's 18 stops.
Collectively, the Beach ranks third in the Big West with a .230 hitting percentage while occupying the fourth position with 12.69 kills per set. Defensively, LBSU is limiting the opposition to just 11.61 kills per set, which ranks third in the Big West. However, the Beach's foes are hitting at a .234 clip, which the second worst in the league.
Former LBSU setter Joy McKienzie-Fuerbringer is in her fourth season at the helm of her alma mater. As a player, McKienzie-Fuerbringer helped the Beach to its second national championship in 1993 and later returned to her alma mater as an assistant coach from 1999-2001. She also spent time as an assistant at UCLA from 2010-14.
Although the Aztecs own a 26-18 record against Long Beach State in program history, the two teams have clashed just five times since 1995. San Diego State has registered three straight victories against the Beach, including a 3-1 triumph (25-12, 20-25, 25-21, 21-25) at Aztec Court on Sept. 19, 2019. Victoria O'Sullivan is the lone SDSU returner from that encounter when she posted 14 kills and one block assist.
The Aztecs won 13 straight meetings in the series from Nov. 14, 1979-Nov. 9, 1984. The two former Big West rivals also locked horns in the 2001 NCAA Tournament, as LBSU claimed a 3-0 decision the last time the two clubs played in Long Beach.
SDSU is 165-110 in program history against current members of the Big West, including a 3-0 whitewash at UCSB on Sept. 3.
Aztec head coach Brent Hilliard played collegiately at Long Beach State, earning All-America honors in each of his four years from 1990-93, including first-team recognition over his final three seasons. A right-side hitter for LBSU, Hilliard was named the NCAA Men's Volleyball Player of the Year as a junior in 1992 after leading the Beach to a 31-1 record.
In 1991, Hilliard and Long Beach State captured the NCAA Championship with a 3-1 victory over USC in the finals, avenging a loss to the Trojans in the title match the year before. He finished his career as the NCAA all-time leader with 3,034 kills.
Following Tuesday's encounter, San Diego State concludes its non-conference schedule this weekend when it travels to the desert for the Wildcat Classic, Sept. 17-18, in Tucson, Arizona. The Aztecs will battle Texas Southern and host Arizona on Friday before squaring off against UC Riverside on Saturday to wrap up the tournament.