COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – San Diego State volleyball senior Kayla Rivera (Ventura, Calif.) was named to the all-tournament team after the conclusion of the 2022 Mountain West Championship on Nov. 25 in Fort Collins, Colorado.
In two matches last week, Rivera tied for the team lead with 25 kills (2.89/set) and seven total blocks (0.78/set), helping the sixth-seeded Aztecs reach the conference semifinals. The SDSU opposite hitter also topped the squad with four service aces and ranked second with a .362 hitting percentage, committing just five errors in 58 attempts, to go with six digs.
In the Aztecs' quarterfinal matchup vs. No. 3 seed and tournament host Colorado State on Nov. 23, Rivera blasted 14 kills against three errors in 34 attempts for a .324 efficiency. The Ventura, California, native also served up three aces and came through with five total blocks, including a solo stop, helping the Scarlet and Black upset the Rams in a five-set thriller and emerge triumphant in Fort Collins for the first time since the 2013 campaign.
The following day against No. 2 seed San José State in the MW semifinals, Rivera hit even better, finishing with a .417 clip on a team-high 12 kills against two errors in 24 attempts. She also totaled two block assists and one ace, though SDSU fell to the Spartans in a hard-fought four-set battle.
In her lone season after transferring from Georgia, Rivera started 29 of 31 matches during the 2022 campaign, leading the Aztecs with 296 kills while holding down the second spot in kills per set (2.53), total blocks (88.0) and blocks per set (0.75).
Rivera played a key role in SDSU's late-season surge, helping the Aztecs win seven of their last 11 matches by posting double-digit kills in nine of those contests, including 15 put-aways in a crucial victory at Nevada on Nov. 17 to equal a career high.
Earlier in the year, Rivera was named to the all-tournament team at the Pepperdine ASICS Classic after totaling 29 kills and a .313 hitting percentage in three matches, including a collegiate-best .647 clip (12-1-17) vs. the host Waves on Sept. 3. She also notches a career-high seven block assists against Army West Point in the SDSU Invitational on Aug. 27.
2022 MW Volleyball Championship All-Tournament Team
Kayla Rivera, San Diego State
Isabel Martin, UNLV
Haylee Nelson, San José State
Sarah Smevog. San José State
Tatum Stall, Utah State
Kennedi Boyd, Utah State
Adna Mehmedovic, Utah State
Shelby Capllonch, Utah State - MVP