SAN DIEGO – Despite a spirited comeback in the opening set, the San Diego State volleyball team was unable to carry that momentum for the remainder of the match on Saturday in a 3-1 loss to Utah State (27-25, 18-25, 18-25, 14-25) at Aztec Court at Peterson Gym.
After posting a .314 hitting percentage in the first set, the Aztecs combined for a .051 efficiency over the final three frames, slipping to 7-18 on the season and 5-9 in the Mountain West.
SDSU was plagued by 25 attack errors, hitting .132 for the match, while the Aggies (17-8, 9-5 MW) served up 14 service aces, and maintained the statistical advantage in kills (53-40), digs (40-31) and team blocks (12.0 to 8.0) to complete the season sweep.
With the defeat, the Aztecs find themselves in a tie for eighth place with New Mexico in the conference, unable to gain ground in the standings after Wyoming and Boise State both lost on Saturday. The Broncos and Cowgirls are now tied with Nevada for fifth in the MW race at 6-8, as the top six teams qualify for the conference tournament later this month.
Individually, Kayla Rivera was lone SDSU players to record double-digit kills, tying for match-high honors with 12 put-aways to go with three block assists. In addition, the Aztecs received eight kills from Madison Corf, while Heipua Tautua'a launched seven non-returnables of her own.
The SDSU cause was also buoyed by Elly Schraeder, Julia Haynie and Jordyn Goldsmith, who totaled four block assists each, while Noa Miller dished out 20 assists and served up three aces, sharing the setter chores with Sarena Gonzalez, who finished with 14 helpers for the day.
Trailing 12-6 in opening frame, the Aztecs reeled seven straight points to vault in front 13-12, setting the stage for a dramatic finish. Tautua'a blasted two kills in that stretch, sandwiched around a pair of joint blocks by Schraeder and Goldsmith, while Haynie dealt a pair of aces in the interim.
USU seemingly took control after a kill by Tatum Snell provided the visitors a 23-20 cushion. However, SDSU flashed its patented resiliency once again, crafting a 7-2 closing run to escape with the set.
Rivera powered down three shots in that span, including a key kill to break a 25-25 deadlock, before combining with Haynie on a block for the clincher. Tautua'a also contributed to the late outburst with a pair of put-aways, while Miller served up an ace.
The Aztecs could not build on their sudden success in the second stanza, as the Aggies used a 10-3 run to break an early 3-3 tie and give themselves some separation. Facing a 13-6 deficit, SDSU narrowed the gap to one on three occasions, including an 18-17 margin after Haynie and Goldsmith teamed up on another block.
However, the Aztecs could not gain the upper hand, as USU pulled away with a 7-1 surge. The Aggies received two late service aces by Jordi Holdaway and Leah Wilton LaBoy, while Bella Wooden combined with Kylee Stokes and Shelby Capllonch for two blocks.
After mustering just six kills in the second set, SDSU responded with 15 kills in the third frame. Rivera launched five kills on nine attempts without an error for a .556 efficiency, while Tautua'a contributed three put-aways in that stretch. Despite limiting the Aggies to 11 kills in the third set, the Aztecs committed five more attack errors (7-2) and were victimized by five USU aces.
Following a trio of early ties, SDSU found itself in pursuit mode for the remainder of the frame, with the Aggies methodically increasing their advantage to 18-11 after an ace by Snell. The Aztecs could draw closer than six points the rest of way, as Wooden helped keep the visitors at bay with a solo block and combined stop with Adna Mehmedovic.
SDSU could not generate a sustained attack in the fourth set, posting just five kills against six errors in 22 attempts. Still, the Aztecs kept the score close early after Miller served up two aces to pull the hosts to within 9-8. However, consecutive kills by Capllonch, Wilton-LaBoy and Wooden, followed by an errant SDSU attack gave USU a 13-8 advantage it would not relinquish.
Stall tied the Aztecs' Rivera with 12 kills for the afternoon, while Mehmedovic (11) and Capllonch (10) reached double figures in that statistic. Capllonch hit .474 for the match, committing just one error in 19 attempts, and completed a double-double with 10 digs. In addition, Wooden led all players with seven total blocks, while Boyd finished with five block assists.
San Diego State will have little time to dwell on its defeat, as it continues its busy stretch with another home match against Fresno State on Monday, Nov. 7, with a special starting time of 5 p.m. PT.
Aztecs Fall to Utah State in Four Sets
