SAN DIEGO – The San Diego State volleyball team stumbled out of the gates and found themselves in pursuit mode for much of the evening in a 3-1 loss to Wyoming (14-25, 22-25, 20-25, 17-25) on Thursday in a Mountain West match inside Aztec Court at Peterson Gym.
The Aztecs (4-14, 2-5 MW) were unable to erase an 0-2 deficit in sets after combining for just 17 kills and a .030 hitting percentage during that span, as the Cowgirls handed the Scarlet and Black its fourth straight defeat.
Conversely, Wyoming (7-12, 3-4 MW) launched 27 in the first two frames, committing just five errors in 58 attempts for a .379 efficiency en route to its seventh consecutive victory over SDSU in the all-time series.
Overall, the Cowgirls out-hit the Aztecs .258 to .028, maintaining the statistical advantage in kills (46-39), team blocks (13.0 to 8.0) and service aces (6-5), overcoming 13 service errors to help key their win.
On the flip side, SDSU held a 54-47 edge in digs but was plagued by 35 attack errors in the loss.
Kayla Rivera led the Aztecs with nine kills and tied Kat Cooper for team-high honors with four blocks, including a solo stop, while Heipua Tautau'a finished with seven put-aways of her own and six digs.
The SDSU fortunes were also boosted by Ellie Geoghegan, who led all players with 18 digs and three service aces, while Noa Miller logged her second double-double of the year with 18 assists and 10 digs.
The Aztecs came to life in the third set, posting 16 kills with a balanced attack, as Tautua'a, Rivera, Cooper and Madison Corf launched three non-returnables apiece.
Still, the two sides battled through six ties, including a 15-15 deadlock before SDSU took the lead for good with four straight points, capped by a Cooper solo block and kill on consecutive serves.
The Cowgirls trimmed the margin to 22-20 shortly thereafter thanks to an Aztec attack error and a Kasia Partyka service ace. However, the Aztecs kept the visitors at bay after a timeout, as Rivera floored consecutive shots, while Corf quickly followed with a clinching kill.
SDSU rode the momentum into the fourth set where Rivera recorded a solo block and Geoghegan served up an ace on the first two points. However, the Aztecs mustered just six kills in the frame against 13 attack errors, as Wyoming pulled away down the stretch.
Despite a rash of seven errant attacks in the early going, three of which were the result of Cowgirl blocks, the Aztecs managed to knot the score at 12-12 following kills by Julia Haynie and Rivera, while a Wyoming attempt went awry.
However, the Cowgirls vaulted in front to stay on two straight kills by Naya Shimé, while Sarah Holcomb added a solo block after SDSU self-destructed with four consecutive attack errors.
Suddenly trailing 18-12, the Aztecs never drew closer than four points the rest of the way, as Tierney Barlow combined with Corin Carruth on a block to secure the match point.
Carruth (11) and Barlow (10) surpassed the double-digit kill plateau to lead all players, while Holcomb hit .615 on the night, posting eight kills on 13 without an error to complement her match-high eight total blocks.
Barlow and Theresa Garza also got into the act for Wyoming with five block assists each, while Partyka and Hailey Zuroske contributed 34 assists and 17 digs, respectively.
SDSU nursed a slim 2-1 lead in the opening set on a Mikela Labno kill, but the Cowgirls crafted an 11-5 run to seize the upper hand for good. The Aztecs twice cut the deficit to four, including a 15-11 spread after an Elly Schraeder put-away.
However, Wyoming closed with a 10-3 blitz, highlighted by four combined blocks, with Holcomb assisting on three of those stuffs, including the clincher with Partyka.
The teams slugged it out through six ties in the second stanza, including a 13-13 deadlock on a Tautua'a ace. However, the Aztecs were their own worst enemy, as the Cowgirls took the lead for good after two unforced attack errors sandwiched around a bad set, while Holcomb and Garza joined forces on a block to put the visitors in front 17-13.
San Diego State returns to the court on Saturday, Oct. 15, when it plays host to Colorado State, starting at 1 p.m. PT. The first 100 fans in attendance will receive a free Title IX water bottle as part of SDSU's celebration of Title IX's 50th anniversary.
Aztecs Upended by Wyoming in Four Sets
