SAN DIEGO – After opening the season last weekend in the Pacific Northwest, San Diego State returns to "America's Finest City" to host the SDSU Invitational, Aug. 31-Sept. 2, inside Aztec Court at Peterson Gym.
The Aztecs commence their 2023 home schedule on Thursday when they battle No. 6 Oregon at 6:30 p.m. PT, followed by a Friday evening matchup with Pepperdine at the same starting time. SDSU will wrap up tournament play with a Saturday showdown vs. UC Santa Barbara, beginning at 3:30 p.m.
Two other matches will feature UCSB tackling Oregon on Friday at 4 p.m. PT, before the Ducks meet Pepperdine on Saturday at 1 p.m.
All tournament matches will feature live stats, while Thursday's SDSU-Oregon clash and Saturday's Aztecs-Gauchos encounter will air live on the Mountain West Network. Links to both platforms can be found on GoAztecs.com. In addition, fans can download the free Mountain West Network app on their smartphones or connected TVs through Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV or Roku. Mobile applications can be downloaded from the iOS App Store and Google Play.
PROMOTIONS
Thursday's home opener against has been designated a Blackout Night, and free black SDSU T-shirts will be distributed to the first 250 fans in attendance.
As part of the Girls Night with Girls Scouts promotion with Friday's match vs. Pepperdine, the first 250 fans will receive a free SDSU roller banner.
To help celebrate Faculty/Staff Appreciation Day for Saturday's skirmish with UCSB, free key chains will be presented to the first 250 spectators.
NO PLACE LIKE HOME
Since the beginning of the 2009 campaign, Aztecs have amassed a 117-74 (.613) record at home, highlighted by a 14-0 mark during the 2012 season when SDSU captured the Mountain West championship. The Aztecs are 7-7 in their last 14 home openers and will be looking to reverse a three-match slide after falling to Fresno State (2020), UCLA (2021) and California (2022) in consecutive lid-lifters at Aztec Court. SDSU is 29-18 in home openers since the program's inception in 1976.
SERIES RECORDS
Oregon owns a 6-4 record against SDSU in the all-time series dating back to 1980. The Ducks have won three straight meetings, including a three-set decision at the Oregon Classic on Sept. 2, 2016. The teams squared off just once between 1989 and 2016, with the Ducks surviving a tough five-set nail-biter at home in the Salbasgeon Suites Invitational on Sept. 9, 2006.
Oregon last invaded Peterson Gym prior to the rally scoring era on Sept. 18, 1987, when it outlasted the Scarlet and Black in five sets at the SDSU Women's Collegiate.
The Aztecs have not faced a ranked team this high in the AVCA polls since falling in three sets to No. 6 Hawai'i at the 2010 Verizon Wireless Volleyball Challenge in Honolulu.
After a 20-year hiatus, SDSU and Pepperdine will square off for the third straight season, with the all-time series tied at 21-21 in 42 meetings. The Aztecs have not faced Pepperdine in a home match since 2000 and are 10-7 all-time in Peterson Gym, picking up their last victory here in 1989.
The Scarlet and Black came up on the short end against the Waves last year at Pepperdine's own ASICS Classics, falling in three sets (18-25, 20-25, 32-34) at Firestone Fieldhouse in Malibu, California.
In that match, Aztecs were outhit .371 to .259, as the Waves benefited from 15 unforced SDSU attack errors. Although the Aztecs maintained a 42-36 advantage in digs and each side served up six aces, Pepperdine also finished with more team blocks (9.0 to 4.5) to help fuel its win.
Among SDSU returners, Heipua Tautua'a racked up 11 kills to go with a career-best four service aces, while Mikela Labno hit at a .316 clip (7-1-19). In addition, the Aztecs received a boost from a pair of freshman at the time in Sarena Gonzalez (24 assists) and Kat Cooper (3 block assists).
San Diego State saw its three-game winning streak against UCSB snapped last year in a four-set loss (18-25, 18-25, 25-22, 16-25) at the ASICS Pepperdine Classic to fall to 24-21 in 45 all-time meetings dating back to 1978.
In that contest, the Aztecs were stymied in the middle, as the Gauchos maintained a decisive advantage in team blocks (13.0 to 2.0) while serving up 12 aces compared to SDSU's two. In addition, UCSB owned the statistical edge in kills (50-45) and hitting percentage (.310 to .161), capitalizing on 13 Aztec unforced attack errors.
Among SDSU returners, Julia Haynie (.474) blasted 10 kills, while Reagan Merk tied her career high with seven put-aways of her own. In addition, Sarena Gonzalez handed out 21 assists.
The Aztecs are 11-10 all-time vs. UC Santa Barbara at home in program history, including a three-set victory at the SDSU/USD California Mixer in 2016, which marked the last time the two teams met on The Mesa. Overall, San Diego State sports a 168-112 record against current Big West schools.
WEEKEND WRAP
San Diego State opened its 2023 campaign with a 1-2 record at the Hotel Vance Rose City Showdown, Aug. 25-27, in Portland, Oregon. The Aztecs pulled away for a four-set triumph (21-25, 25-19, 30-28, 25-16) over Cal State Fullerton to begin tournament play before dropping consecutive three-set decisions to Kansas State (14-25, 13-25, 25-27) and host Portland State (22-25, 22-25, 19-25).
Madison Corf led the Scarlet and Black with 27 kills (3.00/set) for the weekend, while Taylor Underwood and Heipua Tautua'a finished with 23 put-aways apiece (2.30/set). In addition, Elly Schraeder posted a team-high nine blocks, followed by Kat Cooper (6) and Corf (5).
Against CSUF, the Aztecs maintained the statistical advantage in kills (58-40), digs (69-60) and total blocks (14.5-10.0) to help key their victory. In addition, the SDSU defense held the Titans to a .090 hitting percentage for the afternoon, including a minus-.179 clip in the decisive fourth set.
Individually, the Aztecs had three players surpass the double-digit plateau in kills, including Underwood, who tied for match-high honors with 14 put-aways in her Scarlet and Black debut after transferring from DePaul. In addition, Corf launched 12 non-returnables of her own, while Tautua'a recorded her 12th career double-double with 10 kills and 13 digs.
Against Kansas State, Tautua'a blasted nine kills to go with five digs and a pair of service aces, while Cooper totaled five put-aways of her own on a .455 efficiency, finishing with just one miscue in 11 attempts.
However, the Wildcats owned the advantage in most statistical categories, including kills (49-30) and hitting percentage (.532 to .243), committing just seven attack errors on the afternoon.
The Aztecs kept things close in their weekend finale against Portland State, but SDSU recorded five more attack errors (17-12), finishing with a lower hitting percentage (.221 to .311) despite a deadlock in team kills (40-40). Additionally, the Vikings owned a statistical edge in service aces (7-5), team blocks (6.0-5.0) and digs (41-34) to help fuel their victory.
Corf paced the Aztecs with 11 kills and hit .474 for the match, committing just two errors on 19 attempts, while Cooper launched six non-returnables of her own.
ALL-TOURNAMENT AZTEC
San Diego State libero McKenna Douglas earned a spot on the all-tournament team this past weekend at the Hotel Vance Rose City Showdown in Portland, Oregon, after posting 39 digs (3.90/set), 10 assists and three aces in three matches. In the Aztecs' 3-1 triumph over Cal State Fullerton, the SDSU sophomore anchored the back row with 21 digs while adding six assists and a service ace. Douglas' 21 scoops marked the fourth-best figure in the MW last weekend and was second-highest total for a four-set contest. In addition, Douglas posted 14 scoops in the tournament finale at Portland State, which was the second-highest number for a three-set match.
SDSU INVITE CONNECTIONS
Oregon lists three players on its roster from San Diego County, including senior opposite Morgan Lewis (Carlsbad/La Costa Canyon HS), sophomore middle blocker Colby Neal (Poway/Poway HS) and freshman opposite Noemie Glover (Rancho Santa Fe/Cathedral Catholic HS).
Oregon alumna Bethany Kepner is in her first season as San Diego State's director of volleyball operations after spending two years as a student manager with the Ducks program.
Pepperdine assistant coach Blossom Sato is the daughter of Aztec Hall of Famer Liane Sato, who earned AVCA All-Region honors at SDSU in 1986 before competing for the USA National Team at the Summer Olympics in 1988 and 1992.
As a prep senior at Liberty (Mo.) High School in 2021, SDSU outside hitter Madison Corf competed against current Pepperdine freshman setter Brynne McGhie, who was a junior at St. Teresa's Academy that season. Liberty High emerged triumphant with a 3-0 sweep in that non-district match, as Corf blasted a team-high 13 kills and hit .478, while McGhie dished out a team-high 28 assists to go with five digs.
UCSB libero Macall Peed and defensive specialist Jazmin Nason both prepped at San Diego area high schools. Peed graduated from Torrey Pines High, while Nason is a San Marcos High alumna.
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
Oregon swept three matches at the Hawaiian Airlines Rainbow Wahine Classic in Honolulu last weekend, knocking off then-No. 13 San Diego, Northwestern and tournament host Hawai'i in succession. With their results, the Ducks climbed three spots into the No. 6 position in the latest AVCA/Taraflex Coaches Poll.
Outside hitter Mimi Colyer and middle blocker Karson Bacon were named Pac-12 Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week, respectively, for their performances in the Aloha State. Colyer collected tournament MVP honors after averaging 5.33 kills per set while hitting .287 over three matches. She also combined for 18 digs, seven blocks and five service aces. At the net, Bacon averaged 1.78 blocks per set and helped Oregon limit the opposition to a collective .090 hitting percentage.
In addition, setter Hannah Pukis handed out 101 assists (11.22/set) and notched 27 digs (3.00/set) over the weekend, notching her first double-double of the season with 37 helpers and 10 scoops in the victory over Hawai'i on Aug. 27.
Colyer and Pukis were preseason all-Pac-12 selections, while the Ducks were picked to finish third in the conference's preseason poll.
Last season, Oregon finished with a No. 9 national ranking after posting a 26-6 overall record, punctuated by an NCAA Elite Eight appearance where it dropped a heart-breaking five-set decision at Louisville.
Pukis garnered second-team AVCA All-America accolades after averaging a career-high 11.18 assists per set (1,118 overall), which ranked 10th nationally. Colyer, meanwhile, was named AVCA National Freshman of the Year and received third-team All-America recognition after finishing 11th in the country with 533 total kills (4.85/set) while contributing 255 digs (2.01/set) and 77 blocks (0.61/set).
Head coach Matt Ulmer begins his seventh season in charge of the Ducks program, leading Oregon to five NCAA Tournament appearances, including a pair of berths in the Elite Eight. His career record stands at 116-63, including a 72-46 mark in Pac-12 play. Prior to his promotion, Ulmer served three years on the Ducks staff as an assistant coach (2014-15) and associate head coach (2016). Ulmer arrived on the Eugene campus after spending seven seasons at Long Beach State, five of which were served as a full-time assistant. He also doubled as the sand volleyball program's head coach at Long Beach, guiding the 49ers to a national championship in 2013 to become the youngest head coach to win a Division I volleyball championship (indoor included, men and women).
Pepperdine dropped a pair of three-set matches at the Omaha Invitational last weekend, falling to Kansas (25-27, 15-25, 23-25) and Texas A&M (12-25, 21-25, 15-25). Birdie Hendrickson and Meg Brown blasted 14 kills apiece (2.33/set) for the weekend, while Emily Helmuth launched 10 non-returnables of her own (1.67/set). In addition, Riley Patterson combined for 20 digs (3.33/set) in those two encounters, while Isabel Zelaya finished with 50 assists (8.33/set) and five total blocks (0.83/set).
The Waves return all six starters and libero from last year's squad that posted a 19-11 overall record, capped by a four-set loss to Stanford in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Despite a fourth-place finish of 10-8 in West Coast Conference play, Pepperdine still secured an at-large postseason berth.
The Waves were predicted to finish second in the WCC preseason coaches poll, earning two first-place votes to trail defending league champion San Diego. Individually, Brown, Helmuth, Patterson and Grace Chillingworth received preseason all-WCC recognition.
In 2022, Helmuth was named the conference's Freshman of the Year after averaging 2.85 kills per set to go with 53 blocks at the outside hitter position, while Brown (.365, 102 blocks) and Chillingworth (2.86 kills/set, 2.26 digs/set, 67 blocks) were first team all-WCC selections.
Pepperdine alumnus Scott Wong is entering his eighth season in charge of the Waves, compiling a 144-89 overall record on the Malibu campus. During his tenure, Wong has guided Pepperdine to a trio of NCAA Tournament berths in 2018, 2020 and 2022, advancing to the second round in the first two appearances. Prior to his current position, Wong served as associate head coach at Hawai'i from 2010-14, doubling as the Rainbow Wahine's sand volleyball head coach. He also spent time as an assistant for the Pepperdine men's program (2005-09), contributing to the Waves' national championship run in 2005. As a player at Pepperdine, Wong garnered All-America accolades on three occasions between 1998 and 2001.
Meanwhile, UC Santa Barbara swept all three matches at its own season-opening Thunderdome Classic last weekend, defeating New Mexico State, Denver and North Florida in succession. Individually, outside hitter Michelle Ohwobete (3.33 kills/set), middle blocker Andi Kreiling (3.33 kills/set) and libero Macall Peed (4.78 digs/set) were named to the all-tournament team. Ohwobete collected tournament MVP honors after combining for 30 kills, 16 digs and five blocks on the weekend. In addition, Kreiling matched her teammate with 30 kills for the tournament while hitting at a .574 clip.
The Gauchos were pegged for a second-place finish in the Big West preseason coaches poll after logging a 20-10 overall record and a second-place mark of 16-4 in conference last year. Peed was named Big West Libero of the Year in 2022 to go with AVCA All-Pacific Region honorable mention, while Ohwobete garnered first-team all-conference accolades. Additionally, opposite hitter Tasia Farmer received all-Big West honorable mention a year ago.
Entering the weekend, UCSB leads the Big West in team hitting percentage (.322), kills (14.56/set) and assists (13.33/sets) while ranking fifth in both blocks (2.22/set) and service aces (1.67/set).
Matt Jones enters his first season as head coach of the Gauchos after joining the program as an assistant coach in the spring of 2017. The La Jolla, California, native was elevated to associate head coach prior to the 2021 campaign.
SDSU IN MW RANKINGS
Entering the weekend, middle blocker Julia Haynie ranks third in the Mountain West with a .455 hitting percentage. The Aztec super senior has knocked down 11 kills on 22 attempts this season with just one error.
In addition, libero McKenna Douglas occupies the sixth position in the conference with 3.90 assists per set, while Fatimah Hall is slotted ninth with 7.60 assists per frame.
Hall, a freshman setter, tied the Mountain West's fourth-highest assist total of the week with 47 helpers in SDSU's season-opening victory over Cal State Fullerton on Aug. 25. In addition, Hall's number ranked second in the league for a four-set match.
Douglas' 21 digs vs. CSUF also represented the fourth-best figure in the MW last weekend and was the second-highest for a four-set match. In addition, Douglas posted 14 scoops in the tournament finale at Portland State, which was the second-best number for a three-set contest.
Not to be outdone, Elly Schrader's six total blocks against Cal State Fullerton were tied for the ninth-best total in the Mountain West. The Aztec junior finished with three solo blocks vs. the Titans to set a career high.
Collectively, the Aztecs occupy the fifth spot in the conference with an average of 12.80 kills and 11.70 assists per set while ranking sixth in team blocks (2.15/set) and hitting percentage (.213).
SETTING AN EXAMPLE
After a heralded prep career at Lakewood High School, setter Fatimah Hall cracked the starting lineup in her first three collegiate matches at the Hotel Vance Rose City Showdown in Portland, Oregon, last weekend, averaging 7.60 assists and 1.00 digs in 10 sets played.
A native of Long Beach, Hall made her Aztec debut a memorable one, finishing with a double-double after posting 47 assists and 12 digs, helping SDSU defeat Cal State Fullerton in the season opener on Aug. 25. Her 47 assists marked the highest total by an Aztec player since Camryn Machado dished out 53 helpers at Utah State in the penultimate match of the 2019 regular season. The SDSU freshman also blasted her first four collegiate kills against the Titans and was credited with one block assist.
Hall also led the Aztecs in assists in their final two matches of the tournament vs. Kansas State (13) and Portland State (16), serving up one ace apiece against the Wildcats and Vikings.
WELCOME BACK
Despite a 11-20 overall record, the Scarlet and Black captured seven of its last 11 matches in 2022, punctuated by an appearance in the Mountain West Championship where the sixth-seeded Aztecs upset No. 3 seed Colorado State, 3-2, in the first round before falling to second-seeded San José State in the semifinals by a 3-1 tally.
Building on that momentum, San Diego State returns 10 letterwinners from last season, including the duo of outside hitters Madison Corf and Heipua Tautau'a.
Corf made an immediate impact during her freshman campaign in 2022, earning all-Mountain West honorable mention after averaging a team-best 2.61 kills across 109 sets and ranked second on the squad with 282 kills overall. The Kansas City, Missouri, product was also slotted third on the Aztecs with double-digit kills in 11 matches while occupying the fourth position with 172 digs (1.59/set). She also contributed 25 blocks, including five solo stops, to go with 16 service aces.
In the Aztecs' aforementioned upset of Colorado State in the Mountain West tournament, Corf posted her second double-double of the year, blasting a team-high 17 kills to go with 13 digs.
Tautua'a continued to exhibit her resourcefulness last season, finishing second on the team in digs (244) while ranking third in kills (260), kills per set (2.36) and digs per set (2.22). Additionally, the Wai'anae, Hawai'i, native led SDSU with seven double-doubles (kills-digs) and was slotted fourth on the squad with 39.0 total blocks, including 13 solo stops.
The Aztecs also welcome back a pair of middle blockers in super senior Julia Haynie and junior Elly Schraeder. In 2022, Haynie ranked fifth in the Mountain West with a career-best .356 hitting percentage while finishing third on the team in total blocks (43) and sixth in kills (137, 1.59/set). The Temecula native recorded multiple blocks in 10 matches and surpassed the double-digit kill plateau on four occasions, committing one attack error or less in 15 contests.
Schraeder, meanwhile, was slotted sixth in the league with 1.09 blocks per set, compiling a team-high 118 blocks overall in her first season on The Mesa after transferring across town from the University of San Diego. The Athol, Idaho, product notched at least one block in all but two matches and recorded multiple stops in all but three contests. She also ranked second on the team among qualifiers with a .291 hitting percentage and was slotted fifth in kills (152) and sixth in kills per set (1.41).
Outside hitter Mikela Labno was the only other Aztec to average more than two kills per set in 2022 (2.15, 204 overall), appearing in 95 sets across 26 matches, including nine starts. The Hilmar, California, native surpassed the double-digit kill plateau in eight matches during her sophomore campaign in 2022, including consecutive encounters with Army (12) and UC San Diego (13) at the SDSU Invitational, helping the Scarlet and Black close out its season-opening home tournament with a pair of victories.
Middle blocker Kat Cooper looks to assume an expanded role this year after posting 81 kills (1.01/set), 35 blocks (0.44/set) and 25 digs (0.31/set) in 80 sets played across 26 matches, which featured 10 starts. During her freshman campaign, the Springdale, Ark., product finished with at least five kills in eight different contests, tying her season best with seven put-aways against both UC San Diego (.600) and San José State (.429) at home.
Setter Sarena Gonzalez is back in the mix as well after she was one of three freshmen to appear in all 31 matches for SDSU during the 2022 season when she made 11 starts. The Temecula native averaged 4.58 assists and 1.00 digs across 107 sets, ranking second on the team in total assists (490) while occupying the fifth spot in digs (107). Gonzalez amassed double-digit assist totals in 24 matches and dished out 20 or more helpers on nine occasions, including four straight appearances from Aug. 27-Sept. 3.
Defensively, the Aztecs are hoping for the healthy return of libero McKenna Douglas, who played in just 10 matches during an injury-shortened freshman campaign. The Phoenix, Arizona, product finished second on the team with an average of 3.03 digs in 37 sets played. She also dished out 38 assists (1.03/set) and served up 12 aces (0.32), which ranked fifth and seventh on the squad, respectively. Douglas set an SDSU season-high with 26 digs in a 3-1 home triumph over Nevada, which was tied for the second-best total in a four-set Mountain West match during the 2022 campaign.
Rounding out the list of Aztec veterans are juniors Reagan Merk and Jordyn Goldsmith, along with redshirt freshman Cara Braun.
NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK
The prospects for the San Diego State volleyball program continue to improve after head coach Brent Hilliard retooled the Aztec roster with another solid newcomer class for the 2022 campaign.
SDSU's early signing class last November featured three prep stars in opposite hitter Natalie Hughes (McKinney, Texas), setter Fatimah Hall (Long Beach, Calif.) and middle blocker/outside hitter Campbell Hague (Cheney, Kan.).
During spring and summer, the Aztecs added a pair of Division I transfers in opposite hitter Taylor Underwood (DePaul) and defensive specialist Bailey Darnell (UC Irvine) while signing another prep standout in middle blocker Amber Keen (Reno, Nev.).
Underwood garnered Big East all-freshman accolades in her lone season at DePaul last year after ranking third on the Blue Demons with 264 kills (2.47/set) while occupying the sixth spot with 36 blocks (0.34/set). The Norco, California, native also contributed 78 digs (0.73/set) and nine services aces (0.08/set). Additionally, she surpassed the double-digit kill plateau on 13 occasions, launching a career-high 18 put-aways (.351) at Seton Hall.
Hughes, meanwhile, lifted McKinney (Texas) North High to its second straight Class 5A Region II quarterfinal playoff berth in 2022 after a finals appearance in 2020. During her senior campaign, she led the Bulldogs in kills (473), kills per set (4.4), hitting percentage (.316), total blocks (83), and blocks per set (0.8), according to MaxPreps, finishing her prep career with over 1,100 put-aways while setting an all-time school record with 353 total blocks.
Hall was also a highly prized recruit out of Lakewood High, compiling over 800 assists and 200 digs as a senior, helping her squad secure berths in the prestigious CIF Southern Section Division I championships and CIF State Open Division playoffs, as the Lancers finished with a No. 8 state ranking in the Open Division. For her efforts, the Long Beach product earned first-team all-CIF Southern Section Division I honors and was named co-MVP in the Moore League. Hall was part of a Lakewood High program that compiled a 54-14 record over the past two seasons, highlighted by a pair of conference championships with a 24-0 mark in league play during which her squad dropped just one set.
Like Hall, Hague brings a winning pedigree with her to The Mesa after helping Cheney (Kan.) High to a combined 106-14 record over three seasons, highlighted by a runner-up finish at the 2021 Kansas State High School Activities Association (KHSAA) Class 3A Championships during her junior campaign. As a senior, she collected Most Valuable Player honors from the Central Plains League after leading the Cardinals in numerous categories, including kills (338), kills per set (3.60), hitting percentage (.270), service aces (42), total blocks (73) and blocks per set (0.8), according to MaxPreps.
Keen has also witnessed success at the prep level after propelling Reno High to the 2022 Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association (NIAA) Class 5A North Regional championship and a runner-up finish in the state tournament. Prior to last season, she was nominated for Senior Player of the Year by VBRecruiter.com.
Darnell will bring additional veteran leadership to the SDSU back row this year after competing for three seasons at UC Irvine where she compiled 269 digs, 36 setting assists, 13 services aces and seven kills in 181 sets across 59 matches. She enjoyed her best season in 2021, averaging 2.11 digs per set (114 overall) with 19 setting assists and five services aces.
PRESEASON PROGNOSTICATIONS
In a vote of the league's 11 head coaches, San Diego State was pegged for a fourth-place finish in the 2023 Mountain West preseason coaches poll released on August 16. The Aztecs received 64 points to tie New Mexico for that position while trailing defending MW tournament champion Utah State (92 pts, 5 first-place votes), 2022 regular-season standard bearer UNLV (92 pts, 3 first-place votes) and Colorado State (86 pts, 3 first-place votes) for the top three spots, respectively.
In the 24-year history of the Mountain West, SDSU has finished first (2012), second (2002, 2011), fourth (2000, 2001, 2003, 2013, 2017), fifth (2005, 2015, 2019), sixth (1999, 2004, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2014, 2016, 2022), seventh (2008), eighth (2007, 2018, 2020), and ninth (2021) in the final league standings.
2023 Mountain West Preseason Poll
Rk. Team (1st-place votes), Pts.
1. Utah State (5) - 92
UNLV (3) - 92
3. Colorado State (3) - 86
4. San Diego State - 64
New Mexico - 64
6. Boise State - 59
7. Air Force - 38
8. San José State - 35
9. Nevada - 32
10. Wyoming - 28
11. Fresno State – 15
TWO AZTECS WIN GOLD MEDALS FOR MW SQUAD IN EUROPE
The San Diego State volleyball program was represented on the Mountain West touring squad that captured the gold medal at the 2023 Global Challenge, held July 13-23 in Europe.
Middle blocker Julia Haynie was the lone Aztec player named to the league's traveling team, while Melanie Greene served as co-head coach of the MW delegation that featured 12 student-athletes from eight conference institutions.
San Diego State's participation in the 2023 Global Challenge was supported by the SDSU Athletics Women's Fund.
The Mountain West touring squad spent the first four days of its excursion (July 13-16) in Maribor, Slovenia, for training and friendly competition against various club and national teams before traveling to Pula, Croatia, for the opening ceremony.
After four days of competition (July 18-21), the triumphant MW all-star team enjoyed a spectacular day of sightseeing in Venice, Italy (July 22), followed by a return flight to the United States.
ON THE HORIZON
Following the SDSU Invitational, the Aztecs will hit the road for eight of its next nine matches, starting next weekend when it makes the short drive across town for the UC San Diego Invitational, Sept. 7-9, in La Jolla, California. SDSU will square off against the host Tritons, Denver and Navy on successive days at LionTree Arena on the UCSD campus.
Aztecs Set to Host SDSU Invitational
