SAN DIEGO – The San Diego State volleyball team snapped a two-match losing streak on Saturday in a tough three-set victory over Air Force (26-24, 27-25, 25-21) in a Mountain West clash inside Aztec Court at Peterson Gym.
In a slugfest that featured a whopping 35 ties and 12 lead changes, the Aztecs posted their second-best hitting percentage of the season with a .337 clip to raise their record to 5-11 overall and even their conference ledger at 2-2. Conversely, the Falcons dropped their second straight, slipping to 4-10 on the year and 1-3 in the MW.
Victoria O'Sullivan led all players with 13 kills and three service aces to go with a trio of blocks, including a solo stop, while Mikela Labno reached the double-digit plateau with 10 put-aways while hitting at a .474 pace with just one error on 19 attempts.
The Aztec cause was also advanced by Heipua Tautua'a, who displayed her versatility with eight kills, six digs, two blocks and an ace, while Jordyn Goldsmith launched seven non-returnables without an error, finishing with a .636 efficiency on an economical 11 swings. In addition, Noa Miller (25 assists) and Kennedy Feuerborn (11 assists), split the setting duties, while Natalie Smith tied Miller for team-high honors with eight digs.
The tightness of the match was reflected on the stat sheet, where the Aztecs maintained a slight advantage in kills (46-43) and digs (33-32), while the two sides each recorded seven team blocks. However, SDSU served up more aces (6-2) and committed three fewer attack errors (16-13) to help squeeze out the victory.
The Aztecs found themselves trailing by as many as six points in the opening frame after consecutive kills by Bailey Keith and another by Sarah Markwardt gave the visitors a seemingly comfortable 22-16 advantage. However, SDSU caught lightning in a bottle, finishing with a strong 10-2 closing run to escape with the set. The Aztecs capitalized on an Air Force attack error; O'Sullivan combined with Goldsmith on a block and soon blasted a kill, while Brooklynn Hill served up an ace to help narrow the gap to 23-21.
Still, SDSU faced three straight set points after Keith floored a shot to give the Falcons a 24-21 lead. Tautua'a took matters into her own hands at this juncture, launching two consecutive kills before teaming with Andrea Walker on a block to tie the score at 24-24. Perhaps flustered after O'Sullivan served up another ace, the Falcons committed an attack error to give the Scarlet and Black the clinching point.
The second stanza was no less dramatic, as the teams witnessed 14 ties and five lead changes. The Aztecs were seemingly in the driver's seat after building a trio of late five-point leads, including a 23-18 spread following an O'Sullivan kill. However, it was Air Force's turn to rally and the Falcons did just that, staving off three set points on a kill by Keith, who also joined forces with Taleah Cooper on a block, while Markwardt floored a shot to tie the score at 25-25.
To its credit, SDSU never ceded the upper hand, as Tautua'a followed with a kill, while Labno came up with a huge solo block to give the host school a commanding 2-0 lead in sets.
The teams traded proverbial punches early the third set, combining for nine ties and three lead changes before the Aztecs vaulted in front for good at 12-10 after consecutive kills by Labno and O'Sullivan. SDSU ultimately built a series of five-point leads, including a 21-16 bulge following a put-away by Goldsmith. Air Force trimmed the margin to 22-19 on consecutive kills by Keith and Joi Harvey but could draw no closer. O'Sullivan snuffed out the visitors' momentum with a kill and an ace, while the Aztecs benefited from a Falcon service error moments later, which ended the match.
SDSU saved its best for last with a stellar .455 hitting percentage in the third set, blasting 17 kills on 33 attempts with just two errors. O'Sullivan came through in the clutch as well, notching six of her kills in the frame, while Labno and Goldsmith tallied three apiece. In addition to her setting, Miller supplied some stout defense with six digs in the final stanza to help vanquish Air Force.
Keith finished with 11 kills and a match-high four blocks assists to lead the Falcons, while Mac Russ floored nine shots and hit .444 on the day. In addition, Murphy Riggs led all players with 10 digs, while Caroline Reinkensmeyer handed out 23 assists in the defeat.
San Diego State resumes its busy stretch with another conference home match on Tuesday, Oct. 5, against defending MW champion UNLV. First serve is set for 7 p.m., and the first 200 fans will receive a free taco as part of the Aztecs' Taco Tuesday promotion.