FORT COLLINS, Colo. – Despite a valiant comeback effort in the fourth set, the San Diego State volleyball team saw its season come to a disappointing end Thursday in a 3-1 loss to San José State (17-25, 25-17, 19-25, 25-27) in the semifinals of the Mountain West Championship at Moby Arena.
With the defeat, the Aztecs (11-20) were eliminated from the conference tournament, while the Spartans (21-8) advance to Friday's title match against Utah State. Earlier in the day, the No. 4 seed Aggies posted a 3-0 upset of top-seeded UNLV (26-4) in the other semifinal contest.
Despite committing four fewer attack errors (22-18) and holding a slight edge in hitting percentage (.227 to .226), SDSU found itself trailing in kills (52-48), service aces (11-5) and team blocks (8.0 to 6.0).
Individually, the Aztecs were paced by Kayla Rivera (.417), who blasted 12 kills in 24 attempts with just two errors, while Madison Corf (.438) totaled nine put-aways of her own.
Heipua Tautua'a, who tied her career high with three solo blocks, continued to display her versatility with eight kills and 10 digs, while Ellie Geoghegan led all players with 17 scoops to anchor the SDSU back row.
Elsewhere, Elly Schraeder (.333) got into the act with seven kills and a pair of block assists, while Noa Miller (27 assists) and Sarena Gonzalez (16 assists) split the setting chores.
The Aztecs were unable to contain the SJSU attack in the opening set, as the Spartans posted knocked down 18 kills on 40 swings with five errors for a .350 hitting percentage. Conversely, the Scarlet and Black managed just eight put-aways in the frame, with Rivera (3), Corf (2) and Schraeder (2) leading the charge.
After a Rivera floored a shot to knot the score at 3-3 early on, SJSU gradually pulled away, building a 20-10 advantage following a mishandled Aztec set. SDSU trimmed the margin to seven on two occasions, including a 24-17 spread after another Rivera kill. However, the deficit proved too much to overcome.
Unfazed, the Aztecs went back to work in the second stanza and registered their best hitting percentage of the afternoon with a scintillating .478 clip on 12 kills against one miscue in 23 attempts. Rivera (.667) put away four shots on six attempts, while Schraeder (.750) launched three non-returnables, with both players avoiding an error in the frame.
Trailing 2-0, SDSU received three kills by Schraeder, Corf and Rivera to vault in front for good, while Tautua'a followed shortly thereafter with a service ace. The Aztecs ultimately forged a series of five-point leads to keep the Spartans at bay. Leading 21-16 after a pair of SJSU attack errors, Tautua'a smashed a kill and came up big defensively moments later with a solo block for the clinching point.
Buoyed by its good fortune, SDSU raced to a 12-5 lead in the third frame, thanks to four kills and a service ace by Corf, while Haynie and Kat Cooper each powered down a shot.
However, the Aztecs were unable to sustain the momentum, as the Spartans posted five team blocks and served up four aces in the set to counter the Scarlet and Black attack. Blaire Fleming led the SJSU rally with five kills, while Amethyst Harper served up three aces.
SDSU nursed a series of two-point leads midway through the frame, including a 17-15 edge following a Rivera kill. The Spartans promptly caught lightning in a bottle, though, forging a 10-2 closing run to capture the set. Fleming keyed the blitz with three kills and a pair of joint blocks with Yazmin Pitpit, who put away the final shot for the clincher.
Stung, the Aztecs fell behind 13-4 in the fourth frame before crafting an improbable rally to climb back into contention. Trailing 20-17 after a Harper kill, SDSU responded with two Tautua'a put-aways, while SJSU committed an attack error to tie the score. Kills by Haynie and Schraeder followed by a wayward Spartan swing got the Scarlet and Black to set point at 24-23, but the Aztecs could not capitalize.
After a Fleming non-returnable and a mishandled SDSU set, Rivera blasted a kill to knot the score once again at 25-25, but the Aztecs were unable to seize the upper hand. Moments later, Fleming floored a shot and combined with Pitpit on a block to secure the exhausting match.
Haylee Nelson led SJSU with 11 kills, while Fleming finished with 10 put-aways of her own. In addition, the Spartans received eight kills by Jiana Lawson, while Pitpit posted a match-high five block assists in the victory.
San Diego State finished with a 11-20 record during the 2022 campaign, winning seven of its last 11 matches, highlighted by a thrilling 3-2 win over third-seeded Colorado State in the first round of the Mountain West Championship on Wednesday.
Aztecs Fall to Spartans in MW Semifinals
