SAN DIEGO -- TheSan Diego State volleyball team hits the road once again this weekend when it travels up the coast for the Gaucho Invitational in Santa Barbara, California.
The Aztecs open tournament play on Friday, Sept. 3, they lock horns with host UC Santa Barbara in a prime-time match starting at 6 p.m. PT.
On Saturday, Sept 4, SDSU will square off against two additional opponents, battling 21st-ranked Pepperdine at 10 a.m. PT, followed by a clash with Kansas State at 4:30 p.m.
Live stats will be available throughout the weekend, while SDSU's match at UC Santa Barbara will feature streaming video with a link available on GoAztecs.com.
SERIES RECORDS
> San Diego State owns a slight 23-20 advantage in 43 all-time meetings against UC Santa Barbara dating back to 1978. The Aztecs swept the Gauchos in their last encounter (25-21, 25-21, 27-25) on Aztec Court at Peterson Gym during the 2016 campaign as part of the joint SDSU/USD California Mixer tournament. The Aztecs last played at The Thunderdome in 2015, where they emerged triumphant in another highly competitive three-setter (25-19, 31-29, 29-27), which snapped the Gauchos' three-match winning streak against the Scarlet and Black from 2009-11. UCSB is one of three Big West schools San Diego State will face away from home this season, along with Long Beach State (Sept. 14) and UC Riverside (Sept. 18). The Aztecs are 164-110 in program history against current members of the Big West.
> SDSU has also maintained a slim 21-19 edge against Pepperdine in a series that dates back to the Aztecs' first varsity season in 1976. However, the two sides have not met since the 2001 campaign, when the Scarlet and Black dropped a 3-0 decision to the No. 13 Waves (19-30, 26-30, 23-30) in Malibu. Pepperdine is just one of three present teams in the West Coast Conference that the Aztecs have a winning record against, joining San Francisco (6-2) and Gonzaga (2-1). The last time SDSU faced a ranked team, other than Colorado State, occurred on Sept. 12 at No. 17 San Diego.
> Saturday's clash with Kansas State will mark San Diego State's first meeting against the Wildcats. The Aztecs last faced a Big 12 Conference team in the 2019 season opener, when they rallied to defeat West Virginia in a five-set thriller at home (21-25, 16-25, 25-22, 25-16, 15-13). With the victory, SDSU has now played every current member of the Big 12 that sponsors women's volleyball, save for K-State, posting a 26-19 all-time record. The Aztecs have battled two other squads from the Sunflower State in their history, most recently dropping a 3-1 decision to Kansas (25-20, 20-25, 20-25, 18-25) in the opener of the 2011 DePaul Invitational in Chicago. SDSU has also faced Wichita State on three occasions, defeating the Shockers 3-0 at the 1997 Golden Flash Classic in Kent, Ohio, before falling in consecutive road and home tournaments in 2003-04.
ALL-TOURNAMENT AZTECS
> Outside hitter Victoria O'Sullivan and libero Natalie Smith were each named to the all-tournament team at the Bearkat Invitational last weekend in Huntsville, Texas.
> In three matches, O'Sullivan knocked down 29 kills (2.64/set) to go with 11 digs and seven block assists while adding one setting assist and one service ace.
> In SDSU's tough 3-2 loss to Sam Houston on Aug. 28, O'Sullivan hit .324 and tied for the team lead with 14 kills, including six in the opening set.
> Meanwhile, Smith played in all 11 sets as well, averaging 4.91 digs (54 overall) to go with six setting assists in her debut event for the Aztecs.
> In SDSU's 3-0 setback to Houston Baptist on Aug. 27, Smith posted a whopping 27 digs (9.0/set), falling just two short of tying her career-high of 29 scoops at Notre Dame on Sept. 18, 2019, as a member of the Michigan Wolverines.
> In addition, Smith tied for match-high honors with 16 digs in the weekend finale at Sam Houston.
NEWCOMERS SHINE
> The Aztecs boast 10 newcomers on their 2021 fall roster, with several providing key contributions during the first weekend of play at the Bearkat Invitational.
> In addition to Natalie Smith, who received all-tournament recognition on the Texas trip, Pitt transfer Zoi Faki led the Aztecs with 30 kills (2.73/set) last weekend and ranked second with 26 digs (2.36/set). In the weekend finale vs. Sam Houston, the SDSU outside hitter logged her first double-double in an Aztec uniform with 14 kills and 12 digs.
> Freshman Jordyn Goldsmith came off the bench in the final two matches vs. Sam Houston and blasted 12 kills, tying for team's fourth-best total over the weekend. The Aztec opposite hit .258 for the tournament, including a .333 pace (5-1-12) in the first clash with Bearkats. She finished strong in the rematch, playing all five sets with seven kills, three digs and three block assists.
> Another freshman, Sara Mukaj served up four aces and posted four digs in the first match against Sam Houston. The Modena, Italy, native returned the following day and led the Aztecs with a .636 hitting percentage, launching seven kills on 11 swings without an error to go with five digs and four block assists.
> Former Portland State middle blocker Julia Haynie knocked down six kills and hit .444 in her Scarlet and Black debut vs. Houston Baptist, before returning with a pair of put-aways and two block assists in the nightcap against Sam Houston.
> Freshman outside hitter Reagan Merk served up aces on her first two collegiate serves in the second set vs. the Bearkats on Aug. 27.
> Freshman outside hitter Mikela Labno made her Aztec debut with appearances in the final two matches of the weekend, finishing with one kill and one dig, while fellow classmate Kalani Ruri played one set in the opener vs. Houston Baptist.
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
> UC Santa Barbara opened its season last weekend with a 1-2 record at the Panther Invitational in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, dropping a pair of five-set heart-breakers to Illinois and Valparaiso, respectively, before rebounding with a 3-1 triumph over tournament host Milwaukee to avoid an empty weekend. The Gauchos let a 2-1 lead slip away in their clash with the Fighting Illini, while the Crusaders roared back to take the final three sets in that contest. After three matches, UCSB has three players averaging over two kills per set, including sophomore outside hitter Tasia Farmer (3.10), freshman outside hitter Michelle Ohlwobete (2.30) and sophomore middle blocker Deni Wilson (2.21). In addition, Wilson leads the Gauchos with a .279 hitting percentage, while senior Rowan Ennis tops the squad with 20 total blocks (1.43/set), including four solo stops. UCSB has utilized three setters thus far, including junior Grace Kloss (74 assists, 5.29/set), fellow classmate Mehana Ma'a (38 assists, 3.80/set) and freshman Grace McIntosh, who dished out 31 assists in just her second collegiate match at Milwaukee. Entering the weekend, the Gauchos rank second in the Big West in blocks (2.56/set) and opponent blocks (1.33/set) while occupying the sixth spot in hitting percentage (.217), kills (13.0/set) and assists (11.78/set). UCSB was pegged for a third-place finish in the 2021 Big West preseason coaches poll after the conference canceled the 2020 campaign due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Gauchos are led by head coach Nicole Lantagne Welch, who is entering her eighth season at UCSB, highlighted by a trio of postseason appearances in 2013, 2018 (NIVC) and 2019. A native of Encinitas, Lantagne Welch earned Big West Coach of the Year honors in her first season on the Isla Vista campus in 2013 after spending the previous 12 years at Miami (Fla.). Her career record stands at 347-217, including a 104-97 mark at UCSB. As a collegiate player, Lantagne Welch was a standout setter at Maryland from 1990-93, earning all-ACC recognition on three occasions.
> Pepperdine enters the weekend with a No. 21 national ranking after winning all three matches in its season-opening tournament at the Classic City Clash in Athens, Georgia. The Waves opened with a 3-1 triumph over Winthrop, before dispatching Morehead State in three sets, followed by a 3-2 nail-biter over host Georgia in the event finale. Pepperdine was predicted to finish third in the West Coast Conference preseason coaches poll behind Brigham Young and Loyola Marymount and landed four players on the preseason all-WCC team, including senior outside hitter Rachel Ahrens, senior libero Madison Shields, junior setter Isabella Zelaya and sophomore middle blocker Meg Brown. Ahrens leads the Waves with an average of 4.17 kills per set and has served up 15 aces already, which is tops in the nation as of Sept. 2. The 2020 WCC Libero of the Year, Shields has scooped up an average of 3.33 digs per set, while Zelaya has dished out 9.75 assists per frame (117 overall and has racked up a team-high 15 block assists. Not to be outdone, Brown tops the squad with a .323 hitting percentage, just ahead of Ahrens (.318), and has 13 block assists to her credit. As team, Pepperdine leads the WCC with 30 total blocks and 29 service aces while occupying the fourth and fifth spots, respectively, in hitting percentage (.265) and kills (13.00/set). Pepperdine alumnus Scott Wong is entering his seventh season in charge of the Waves, compiling a 103-70 overall record on the Malibu campus. During his tenure, Wong has guided Pepperdine to a pair of NCAA Tournament berths in 2018 and 2020, advancing to the second round in both appearances. Prior to his current position, Wong served as associate head coach at Hawai'i from 2010-14, doubling as the Rainbow Wahine's sand volleyball head coach. He also spent time as an assistant for the Pepperdine men's program (2005-09), contributing to the Waves' national championship run in 2005. As a player at Pepperdine, Wong garnered All-America accolades on three occasions between 1998 and 2001.
> Kansas State opened the 2021 campaign by splitting two matches at the Husker Invitational in Lincoln, Nebraska, defeating Colgate in four sets before suffering the opposite fate against No. 5 Nebraska. The Wildcats were also scheduled to face Tulsa in the tournament, but the Golden Hurricane dropped out due to COVID-19 issues within the program. K-State, which received 13 points in the AVCA preseason poll, returns four starters and 10 letterwinners from last season's squad that logged its highest conference standing since 2008 after finishing third in the Big 12 with a 10-6 record and a 13-8 mark overall. Highlighting the list of returners is outside hitter Aliyah Carter, who captured Big 12 Freshman of the Year honors after leading the Wildcats with 4.11 kills per set, which set a program record for freshmen. Carter has picked up right where she left off, averaging a team-high 4.38 kills per set while ranking second on the squad with 3.38 digs per frame after two matches. In addition, opposite Haley Warner leads K-State with a .421 hitting percentage, including a .556 efficiency against the Huskers. Rounding out the list of Wildcat leaders are libero Mackenzie Morris (3.63 digs/set) and setter Teana Adams-Kaonohi (9.88 assists per set, who also shares the top spot with 10 block assists, joining middles Kayde Fernholz and Kayley Hollywood. Collectively, K-State ranks second in the Big 12 with 14.38 digs/set while occupying the third spot in kills (13.38/set), assists (12.00/set), services aces (1.25/set) and blocks (2.81/set). The winningest coach in program history, Suzie Fritz is in her 21st year in charge of the K-State volleyball team, compiling a 364-237 record, highlighted by 12 NCAA Tournament appearances. A Kansas native, Fritz earned consecutive Big 12 Coach of the Year honors in 2002 and 2003. She played collegiately as a setter at Louisiana-Monroe (1992) and Florida Atlantic (1993) after a two-year run at Barton County Community College.
ON THE HORIZON
Following the Gaucho Invitational, San Diego State will play its first two home matches of the season, when it welcomes No. 18 UCLA and No. 22 San Diego to Aztec Court at Peterson Gym on consecutive nights, Sept. 10-11, as part of the SDSU/USD Invitational. Both contests are slated for a 7 p.m. PT start and will be streamed live via the Mountain West Network.
INTRODUCING SEASON TICKETS FOR AZTEC VOLLEYBALL
Season tickets for San Diego State volleyball 's fall schedule are on sale now at GoAztecs.com. For just $40, fans can catch all 11 home matches on Aztec Court at Peterson Gym this season and gain access to premium seating.