FORT COLLINS, Colo. – Despite Heipua Tautua'a's second straight double-double, the visiting San Diego State volleyball team fell short to Colorado State in four sets (25-21, 23-25, 20-25, 18-25) on Thursday in a Mountain West match at Moby Arena.
The teams were evenly matched on the stat sheet, with the Rams maintaining a slight edge in kills (53-50) and team blocks (13.0 to 11.0) to help keep the Aztecs at bay.
In addition, CSU (16-6, 9-2 MW) out-hit the Scarlet and Black .226 to .158, capitalizing on 29 SDSU attack errors to complete the season sweep.
Individually, the Aztecs (5-17, 3-9 MW) were led by Tautua'a's 14-kill, 15-dig performance, with the former matching a season best, while Kayla Rivera launched 11 put-aways of her own while equaling her career high with seven total blocks, including a solo stop.
Tautua'a and Rivera each served up an ace, while Madison Corf just missed out on a double-double as well after posting nine kills and nine digs.
The SDSU cause was also advanced by Elly Schraeder, who finished with six kills and six block assists, while reigning MW Defensive Player/Freshman of the Week Ellie Geoghegan scooped up 13 digs.
Elsewhere, Noa Miller (26 assists) and Sarena Gonzalez split the setting duties, while Mikela Labno contributed five kills on the night.
The two sides plodded through a sluggish opening set, combining for just 19 kills against 16 attack errors. Corf and Tautua'a led the Aztecs with three kills apiece in the frame, while Julia Haynie added two blocks, including a solo stuff.
Trailing 10-9, SDSU reeled off an 8-1 blitz to vault in front for good. Kills by Corf, Schraeder and Rivera fueled the run, while Tautua'a twirled her two aces on consecutive serves.
Shortly thereafter, the Aztecs reclaimed a six-point advantage at 20-14 following a Labno kill and a combined block by Rivera and Haynie.
However, CSU received consecutive solo blocks from Karina Leber and Kennedy Stanford to cap a 6-1 spurt, which narrowed the gap to 21-20. Unfazed, SDSU called timeout and closed with a 4-1 rush, benefiting from two errant serves sandwiched around kills by Tautua'a and Miller.
Despite an 18-13 deficiency in kills during the second stanza, the Aztecs kept things close largely thanks to the efforts of Rivera, who hit .400 for the set on five kills in 10 swings with just one error to go with a pair of aces. Not to be outdone, the SDSU opposite hitter teamed with Schraeder on three blocks to go with a solo rejection.
The Aztecs dug themselves a 7-1 hole before responding with a 9-3 outburst to knot the score at 10-10. Rivera spun those aforementioned aces on back-to-back serves during the run before combining with Schraeder on consecutive blocks.
Moments later, the Rams built a trio of three-point leads, including a 16-13 spread following a kill by Jacqi Van Liefde. However, SDSU flashed its resiliency with an 8-4 run, as another Schraeder-Rivera block gave the visitors their only lead of the set at 21-20.
The precarious advantage quickly evaporated when Malaya Jones floored as shot, while Leber and Ciera Pritchard joined forces on a stuff at the net.
Suddenly facing a 22-21 deficit, the Aztecs twice tied the score on kills by Corf and Rivera. However, Stanford blasted three kills down the stretch, accounting for the final two clinching points, which allowed CSU to escape.
Save for a 3-3 tie and a 4-4 deadlock, the Scarlet and Black found itself in pursuit mode for the remainder of the third set, as the Rams built a series of four-points leads, including a 16-12 margin after an Annie Sullivan kill. Consecutive put-aways by Corf and Labno cut the lead to two, but the Aztecs could draw no closer.
Leading 22-19, CSU received a pair of late kills from Sullivan, who combined with Leber on a block to secure the set.
In the fourth frame, SDSU was seemingly left for dead after the Rams built a 9-2 cushion. However, Tautua'a launched five kills to spark a valiant 14-6 run that gave the Aztecs a 16-15 lead.
However, San Diego State's momentum was quickly snuffed out after CSU scored five straight points on consecutive put-aways by Stanford, Pritchard and Sullivan, while the Aztecs committed a bad set and were victimized by a Ram service ace.
Another Tautua'a kill temporarily stemmed the tide, but with a 20-17 lead in hand, the hosts answered with a 5-1 surge to extinguish SDSU's comeback hopes. Tautua'a totaled seven of the Aztecs' 13 kills in the set, but nine attack errors also thwarted any designs to extend the match.
Stanford and Sullivan combined for 32 of CSU's 53 kills on the night with 16 non-returnables apiece, while Leber led all players with eight blocks, including a solo stop.
San Diego State wraps up its weekend excursion on Saturday, Oct. 29, when it battles Wyoming in another Mountain West showdown, starting at noon MT/11 a.m. PT.
Aztecs Drop Four-Set Decision at Colorado State
