SAN DIEGO -- The San Diego State volleyball team enters a busy stretch this week with three matches in a five-day span, playing host to Utah State and Boise State, respectively, before heading to the Silver State to face UNLV. The Scarlet and Black welcomes the Aggies to Aztec Court at Peterson Gym on Thursday, Oct. 28 at 7 p.m., before the Broncos invade The Mesa on Saturday, Oct. 30 at 1 p.m. SDSU will then open the new month with a road clash against the Rebels in Las Vegas on Monday, Nov. 1, starting at 6:30 p.m. Live stats will be available for all three matches, while the Aztecs' encounters with Boise State and UNLV will be streamed live via the Mountain West Network, with a link available on GoAztecs.com.
QUICK HITS
> Saturday's clash vs. the Broncos has been designated as SDSU's Halloween match, and the first 100 fans in attendance will receive a free bucket with Halloween candy.
> The Aztecs occupy the ninth spot in the Mountain West standings through 10 matches of conference play. SDSU is coming off a pair of losses last week, dropping a 3-2 heartbreaker to Colorado State at home (28-26, 25-21, 22-25, 14-25, 13-15), before falling in three sets at Wyoming two days later (26-28, 19-25, 14-25).
> As of Oct. 27, senior Victoria O'Sullivan ranks fifth in the league for all matches with an average of 3.53 kills per set. The Aztec outside hitter has posted double-digit kills in 17 of her previous 19 starts and has surpassed that plateau in 49 of her last 64 appearances dating back to the start of the 2019 campaign. She needs just nine kills to reach 900 for her career.
> Entering the week, San Diego State leads the MW in conference matches with an average of 13.37 kills and 12.29 assists per set. In addition, Aztec opponents have the recorded the fewest digs in league play (10.71/set).
SERIES RECORD VS. UTAH STATE
> Despite a three-set loss to the Aggies earlier this month, the Aztecs still lead the all-time series 18-8.
> Overall, SDSU owns a 12-1 record against Utah State in San Diego, a 4-4 mark in Logan and a 2-3 ledger vs. the Aggies on a neutral floor.
> In the last meeting between the two squads on Oct. 16, the Aztecs found themselves on the wrong side of a 3-0 score in Logan, (16-25, 26-28, 19-26).
> SDSU was led by Victoria O'Sullivan and Heipua Tautua'a, who launched 10 kills apiece, while Mikela Labno floored eight shots of her own. In addition Zoi Faki scooped up a team-high 11 digs while contributing four kills, two aces and a pair of blocks, including a solo stuff.
> However, Utah State posted a greater hitting percentage (.323 to .152) and maintained the statistical advantage in kills (43-39) as well as team blocks (11.0 to 4.0) to help key its victory.
> The Aztecs have lost to the Aggies twice in a single season just once in program history, dropping a pair of matches at the 1978 AIAW National Championships in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where SDSU finished the tournament in fifth place.
SERIES RECORD VS. BOISE STATE
> With their dramatic victory in Boise on Oct. 14, the all-time series between the Aztecs and Broncos is tied 10-10.
> SDSU is 5-4 at home against Boise State and 5-6 on the road.
> The Aztecs have defeated the Broncos on the road in consecutive seasons for the first time in program history after a thrilling 3-0 whitewash in Boise two weeks ago (25-23, 25-20, 25-18).
> The Broncos entered that match ranked fifth in the nation with 188 team blocks, but SDSU was not fazed, as the Scarlet and Black hit at a .400 clip, marking its highest efficiency since a .410 performance in a home sweep of San Diego on Oct. 2, 2018.
> Victoria O'Sullivan tied her career-high with 22 kills and posted a season-best .545 hitting percentage, committing just four errors in 33 attempts.
> Heipua Tautua'a also surpassed the double-digit kill plateau with 11 non-returnables, while Jordyn Goldsmith tied her season-high with nine put-aways and hit .467 for the night.
SERIES RECORD VS. UNLV
> The Aztecs lead the all-time series vs. the Rebels 28-23 since the two programs first met in 1985.
> However, SDSU has dropped six of the last seven vs. UNLV, including a 3-0 setback at home on Oct. 5 (25-21, 25-21, 25-20).
> The Aztecs held their own against the Rebels in a hard-fought battle, maintaining the statistical advantage in kills (42-32) and digs (49-35), as the two teams combined for 30 ties and 16 lead changes.
> Conversely, SDSU trailed in team blocks (14.0 to 4.0) and was plagued by 17 more attack errors (26-9), while the Rebels served up nine aces.
> Offensively, the Aztecs were paced by Victoria O'Sullivan's 11 kills, while Heipua Tautua'a hit .353 for the night, launching nine put-aways in 17 attempts with just two errors.
> In addition, Noa Miller recorded a double-double with a match-high 21 assists to go with 12 digs, while Natalie Smith finished with 15 scoops of her own.
> SDSU was last victorious in Las Vegas almost two years ago to the date on Nov. 2, 2019, when it prevailed in four nail-biting sets (28-26, 27-25, 20-25, 27-25), with the match featuring 42 ties and 16 lead changes.
SDSU IN MW RANKINGS
> As of Oct. 27, libero Natalie Smith ranks fourth in the Mountain West with an average of 3.88 digs per set (295 overall).
> In addition, outside hitter Victoria O'Sullivan is holding steady in the fifth position with 3.53 kills per set for overall matches and ranks fourth in that statistic (3.63/set) during conference play.
> Elsewhere, setter Noa Miller occupies the eighth spot with 6.09 assists per frame.
> Smith's 27 digs vs. Houston Baptist on Aug. 27 is tied for the third-best performance in the conference this season and is tops for a three-set match. In addition, the SDSU senior posted 22 scoops vs. UC Riverside on Sept. 18, which is tied for the third-best total in a three-set contest.
> Meanwhile, O'Sullivan's 22 kills at Boise State on Oct. 14 represent the most for a three-set match in the MW this year and are tied for the fourth-best effort in the league overall. Not to be outdone, the Aztec senior knocked down 19 kills vs. San Diego on Sept. 11, which is tied for the three-best output in a four-set match this year in the MW.
> In addition, Serena Hodson's eight total blocks at Sam Houston on Aug. 28 is tied for the ninth-best total in the MW thus far.
> Collectively, San Diego State leads the conference in Mountain West matches with 13.37 kills and 12.29 assists per set while ranking fourth with 12.46 digs per frame and sixth with a .240 hitting percentage.
> For all matches, the Aztecs occupy the third spot in the league in assists (11.78/set) and are slotted fourth in digs (13.49/set) while ranking sixth in kills (12.68/set) and seventh in hitting percentage (.217).
HOME SWEET HOME
> Since the beginning of the 2009 campaign, the Aztecs have amassed a 110-61 (.643) record at home, highlighted by a 14-0 mark during the 2012 season when SDSU captured the Mountain West championship.
> During the 2021 spring slate, the Aztecs fashioned a winning record at home for the 10th time in the last 12 seasons after posting a 5-4 ledger.
IT'S MILLER TIME
> Senior Noa Miller ramped up her production over the last eight matches when she averaged 6.31 assists per set, which was higher than her season pace of 5.92 helpers per set prior to that stretch.
> Miller totaled 20 or more assists in a recent four-match homestand from Sept. 30-Oct. 7, including 28 vs. New Mexico to tie her season best.
> The SDSU setter also recorded double-doubles in a pair of starts vs. UNLV and Fresno State, posting 21 assists and 12 digs against the Rebels on Oct. 5, before finishing with 27 assists and 13 digs two days later vs. the Bulldogs, the latter of which tied her collegiate high for scoops. She now has 14 double-doubles for her career, including three this year after recording six at Arizona State (2019) and five at Wofford (2018).
> Against Fresno State, Miller added to her versatility by collecting a career-high six kills on six attempts (1.000).
> For the third time this season, Miller equaled her SDSU best with 28 assists vs. Colorado State.
> Entering the week, the Douglasville, Georgia, native leads the Aztecs with 13 service aces and recently surpassed 100 digs in an SDSU uniform (115) after posting seven scoops at Boise State.
GOLDSMITH SHINES
> Freshman Jordyn Goldsmith has started the last five of the last eight matches, posting 52 kills, 14 total blocks and 14 digs during that stretch.
> In SDSU's 3-0 sweep over Air Force on Oct. 2, the Valleyford, Washington, native knocked down seven kills on 11 attempts without an error for a sparkling .636 hitting percentage.
> The following week vs. Fresno State on Oct. 7, Goldsmith set a collegiate-best with five total blocks, including a solo stop. She also had four block assists in the Aztecs' 3-0 blanking of UC Riverside on Sept. 18.
> Goldsmith contributed to SDSU's 3-0 whitewash at Boise State on Oct. 14, when she tied her career-high with nine kills and hit .467 to go with a block assist.
> While listed as an opposite hitter, Goldsmith holds a rare distinction of playing at middle blocker as a left-hander recently due to injuries to Sara Mukaj and Julia Haynie.
OTHER TRENDS
> All six of San Diego State's victories this season have been recorded when the Aztecs have finished with more kills and digs, as well as a greater hitting percentage.
> SDSU has lost two matches this season when posting a better efficiency – both five-set defeats. The Aztecs out-hit Sam Houston in their final match of the Bearkat Invitational on Aug. 28 (.230 to .179) before experiencing the same fate at home vs. Fresno State on Oct. 7 (.247 to .201).
> San Diego State has dropped five matches this year when posting more kills than the opposition, including a narrow home loss to Colorado on Oct. 21, when the Aztecs held a 64-62 edge in that statistical category. SDSU also suffered that distinction in two additional home contests earlier this month, including a 3-0 defeat to UNLV (42-32) on Oct. 5 and the aforementioned heartbreaker to Fresno State (62-56). The Aztecs also recorded more kills in that five-setter at Sam Houston on Aug. 28 (59-52) and a four-set home defeat to No. 25 San Diego on Sept. 11 (57-49).
> The Aztecs are 4-0 when hitting above .300 this season, including a season-high .400 clip in their 3-0 upset at Boise State on Oct. 14. The Scarlet and Black also notched a .384 efficiency in a sweep at UC Santa Barbara on Sept. 3, followed by a .337 pace in a hard-fought whitewash of Air Force on Oct. 2. In addition, SDSU finished with a .303 hitting percentage in a blanking of UC Riverside at the Wildcat Classic.
> The Aztecs have fallen in three matches when maintaining the upper hand in blocks, including losses to New Mexico (10.0 to 7.0), Long Beach State (8.0 to 5.0) and the second defeat at Sam Houston (12.0 to 7.0).
> San Diego State's sweep of Air Force marked the first time this season the Aztecs prevailed when an opponent hit over .200 for the match, as the Falcons finished with a .272 clip.
> When Victoria O'Sullivan posted a team-leading nine kills in SDSU's sweep at Nevada on Sept. 23, it marked the first time in four matches this year the Aztecs emerged victorious without having a player reaching the double-digit plateau in that statistic.
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
> Utah State (12-6, 7-1 MW) has won five straight to take over sole possession of second place in the conference standings. In their last two outings, the Aggies held on for a five-set triumph at Boise State on Oct. 19 (23-25, 25-21, 25-22, 22-25, 15-11) before returning home for a 3-1 victory over Fresno State on Oct. 23 (25-20, 18-25, 25-14, 25-18). Outside hitter Adna Mehmedovic captured Mountain West Freshman of the Week honors thanks in part to her performance vs. Fresno State when she hit .379 and finished with 17 kills, five block assists and two service aces. For the season, junior middle blocker Kennedi Boyd (2.10 kills/set) leads the MW with a .423 hitting percentage, which ranks 13th nationally entering the week. Along with Boyd, USU boasts three other players who are averaging over two kills per set, including sophomore outside hitter Tatum Stall (2.84), senior outside hitter Kristy Frank (2.56) and junior middle blocker Kylee Stokes (2.06). In addition, senior middle blocker Corinne Larsen occupies the sixth spot in the conference with 1.09 blocks per set, while sophomore libero Abby Peterson (3.35 digs/set) and junior setter Kalena Vaivai (5.31 assists/set) find themselves among the MW leaders, ranking sixth and 10th in their respective statistical categories. Collectively, the Aggies occupy the second spot in the Mountain West for all matches in assists (11.91/set) while ranking third in hitting percentage (.247), kills (13.02/set) and opponent hitting percentage (.192). In addition, USU is slotted fourth in blocks (2.25/set) and eighth in digs (12.53/set. The Aggies are under the direction of second-year head coach Rob Neilson, who arrived on the Logan campus after serving as the lead assistant coach for the U.S. men's national team from 2017-19. Prior to his stint with Team USA, Neilson spent 10 years on the Brigham Young men's volleyball coaching staff, including the final two as the program's associate head coach in 2014-15. In 2011, he served as the Cougars' interim head coach, leading the squad to a 20-8 record and a No. 2 national ranking. Neilson played collegiately at BYU from 2003-06, starting at setter during the 2005 and 2006 campaigns. He was a member of the Cougars' 2004 national championship team and tallied 2,790 assists in his career, which ranks fifth in the BYU record book in the rally scoring era.
> Boise State (15-8, 4-6 MW) has dropped five of its last six matches to drop into seventh place in the conference standings, one match ahead of the Aztecs who defeated the Broncos on their home floor during that stretch on Oct. 14. Last week, Boise State dropped a pair of matches on the road, falling to Fresno State in four sets on Oct. 21 (22-25, 25-20, 13-25, 17-25) before suffering a 3-0 whitewash at the hands of Sacramento State in a non-conference clash (16-25, 22-25, 19-25). Prior to Saturday's rematch at SDSU, the Broncos will battle UNLV in Las Vegas on Thursday night. Despite its recent stumbles, Boise State still ranks third nationally in service aces (166) and fourth in team blocks (226.0). Individually, the Broncos are paced by junior outside hitter Lauren Ohlinger, who occupies the third spot in the MW in points (4.34/set) and service aces (0.47/set) while ranking fourth in kills (3.60/set). Not to be outdone, Ohlinger is slotted ninth in the country with 40 aces overall, while her 373.5 points entering the weekend is good for 32nd.. In addition, junior middle blocker Alyssa Wissinger finds herself atop the conference perch with 1.19 blocks per set and is tied for fifth with a team-best .355 hitting percentage, while senior setter Danielle Boss ranks second with an average of 10.34 assists per set. Elsewhere, senior middle blocker Alli O'Hara (1.13/set) and sophomore opposite Makayla Hansen (1.12/set) rank third and fourth in blocks, respectively, while sophomore libero Jolei Akima landed in the 10th spot this week with 2.88 digs per frame. As a team, Boise State leads the Mountain West with 2.63 blocks per set, which ranks 20th nationally. Boise State also ranks second in the conference for all matches in service aces (1.93/set) and hitting percentage but is slotted only seventh in kills (12.63) while holding its opponents to a .201 hitting percentage, which ranks sixth. The Broncos are 7-4 at home this season and 4-4 on the road while posting a 4-0 mark in neutral-site matches. Redshirt freshman libero Sam Beschell is a native of nearby Solana Beach, California, where she prepped at Santa Fe Christian High. Head coach Shawn Garus is in his 13th season in charge of the Boise State program, sporting a 329-276 career record and a 221-156 mark at the school. Garus captured back-to-back Mountain West Coach of the Year honors (2015-16) to go with 2016 AVCA Region Coach of the Year accolades.
> UNLV (15-6, 6-4 MW) has posted a 2-3 record since defeating the Aztecs in San Diego on Oct. 5, slipping into a tie for fifth place with New Mexico in the conference standings. Prior to Monday's encounter with SDSU, the Rebels will square off against Boise State (Oct. 28) and Utah State (Oct. 30). UNLV split two matches last week, surviving a five-set battle with the Wyoming Cowgirls at home on Oct. 21 (20-25, 25-16, 23-25, 25-21, 15-5) before dropping a tough three-set decision at Colorado State two days later (25-27, 21-25, 27-29). Despite the split, senior outside hitter Mariena Hayden collected her second Mountain West Offensive Player of the Week award on Oct. 25. Against Wyoming, she launched a career-high 30 kills with just four errors to hit .491 for the match while serving up a season-best seven aces. Hayden ranks third nationally in service aces (0.69/set, 46 overall) as of Oct. 26 while topping the MW in kills (4.09/set). In addition, senior middle blocker Kate Brennan occupies the second spot in the league with a .396 hitting percentage and ranks 10th in blocks (0.97/set), trailing fellow middle Jordyn Freeman, who is slotted seventh (1.07/set). In addition, junior libero Paris Oliveira (3.23/set) and junior outside hitter Shelby Capllonch (2.89/set) find themselves in the seventh and ninth spots this week in digs, respectively, while sophomore setter Arien Fafard leads the team in assists (5.20/set, 395 overall). Freeman and fellow junior Paola Garcia hail from San Diego County. Freeman prepped at Rancho Bernardo High, while Garcia graduated from Eastlake High. As a team, UNLV leads the Mountain West for all matches with a .259 hitting percentage while ranking second in kills (13.11/set) and blocks (2.41/set). In addition, the Rebels are limiting opponents to the second-worst hitting percentage for the season with a .190 clip. Including preseason tournaments, UNLV is 5-1 at home this season and 5-5 on the road while posting a 5-0 ledger in neutral-site matches. Head coach Dawn Sullivan is in her third season with the Rebels after spending 13 years as an assistant at Iowa State, including the final six as associate head coach. Last season, Sullivan earned MW Coach of the Year honors after guiding UNLV to an undefeated 12-0 record in conference play, as the Rebels advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
ON THE HORIZON
> Following Monday's match at UNLV, San Diego State continues its road swing on Saturday, Nov. 6, when it travels to the Central Valley for a clash with Fresno State, starting at 11 a.m. PT.