SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Behind an efficient offense and a sturdy defense, the San Diego State volleyball team rolled to its first victory of the season on Friday with a 3-0 triumph (25-20, 25-19, 25-15) over UC Santa Barbara in its opening match of the Gaucho Invitational at The Thunderdome.
The Aztecs (1-2) out-hit the Gauchos .384 to .189, blasting 49 kills on 99 attempts with just 11 errors, while the Gauchos (1-2) were plagued by 18 wayward attacks and five errant serves en route to their third straight loss to the Scarlet and Black in the all-time series.
Despite trailing in team blocks (9.0-6.0), SDSU maintained the upper hand in most categories, including kills (49-39), assists (46-36) and digs (45-33) to help key its victory.
Three Aztecs surpassed the double-digit kill plateau, led by Victoria O'Sullivan, who topped all players with a season-best 15 put-aways and hit at a .519 pace, while Zoi Faki (.455) launched 12 non-returnables of her own. In addition, SDSU received a spark from Heipua Tautua'a (.409), who collected 11 kills, while Mikela Labno contributed seven kills off the bench.
In her first appearance after transferring from Arizona State, Noa Miller started at setter, handing out a match-high 22 assists, while Ashley Vanderpan contributed 13 helpers of her own. Natalie Smith once again secured the back row for the Aztecs, finishing with 11 digs, while Faki just missed a double-double after posting nine scoops. The SDSU defense also received four total blocks from Sara Mukaj, including a solo stuff, while O'Sullivan and Julia Haynie (3 kills) came up with a pair of block assists.
The Aztecs found themselves on the ropes midway through the opening set, as UCSB grabbed a pair of five-point leads, including a 14-9 spread following a kill by Deni Wilson. However, SDSU displayed its mettle, crafting a 9-2 run, capped by a combined block from Labno and Mukaj to take the lead for good at 18-16. The Gauchos responded with a kill by Sophie Messinger, but the Aztecs closed with a 7-3 spurt to keep the hosts at bay. O'Sullivan, who hit .600 in the frame, collected two kills down the stretch and combined with Haynie on a block, while Labno and Tautua'a each powered down a shot as well.
SDSU experienced a similar fate in the second stanza, falling behind by a 7-2 count after a Messinger kill and an errant attack. However, the Aztecs righted the ship once again with a pivotal 14-6 run to vault in front for good. The Scarlet and Black received three kills apiece from O'Sullivan and Tautua'a in that span while benefiting from three UCSB attack errors. SDSU increased its advantage to 20-14 following a UCSB ball-handling error, before the hosts responded with three straight points on a Abrielle Bross kill, a combined block by Messinger and Tasia Farmer and a Kristina Pepak service ace. However, the Gauchos could draw no closer, as the Aztecs received three late kills from O'Sullivan, Faki and Tautua'a to help ice the set.
SDSU saved its best for last, powering down 20 kills in the third set on 32 attempts with just three errors for a blazing .531 efficiency. Faki (.714) launched five kills in the frame without a miscue, matching O'Sullivan (.571), who committed her only error of the night in the set, while Tautua'a (.667) provided four put-aways of her own. Clinging to a slim 10-8, the Aztecs switched on the afterburners, finishing with a strong 15-7 blitz to secure the sweep. Haynie keyed the run with three kills and a combined block alongside Tautua'a, while O'Sullivan blasted three non-returnables down the stretch.
Michele Ohwobete led the Gauchos with eight kills, while Wilson (.538) and Bross finished with seven apiece. Wilson also tied the Aztecs' Mukaj for match-high honors with four blocks, while Grace McIntosh (14 assists) and Grace Kloss (13 assists) split the setting duties for UCSB.
SDSU wraps up the Gaucho Invitational with a pair of matches on Saturday, when it squares off against No. 21 Pepperdine in a matinee, starting at 10 a.m. PT, followed by an afternoon clash vs. Kansas State, beginning at 4:30 p.m. The Waves (4-0) edged the Wildcats (1-2) in three sets on Friday afternoon, 25-22, 32-30, 25-22.