LAS VEGAS – Despite a season-high 17 kills from Madison Corf, the San Diego State volleyball team dropped a heart-breaking five-set decision to UNLV (25-21, 25-16, 20-25, 20-25, 13-15) Tuesday in the Mountain West opener for both teams at Cox Pavilion.
After hitting at a stellar clip of .406 over the first two sets combined, the Aztecs (5-7, 0-1 MW) were dogged by inconsistency over the final three frames, posting a paltry .078 attack percentage, including a dreadful minus-.173 efficiency in the fourth set (6-11-29), which allowed the defending regular-season conference champion Rebels (9-4, 1-0 MW) to extend the match.
In addition to Corf, who hit .448 on the night after committing just four errors in 29 attempts, SDSU received nine kills apiece from Julia Haynie and Mikela Labno, while Heipua Tautua'a launched seven put-aways of her own and provided defensive support with 10 digs and three total blocks, tying Corf (1 solo), Haynie and Elly Schraeder for team-high honors in the latter category.
Schraeder (.556) finished with five kills, along with Kat Cooper, who provided a spark with four non-returnables in the decisive fifth set, while McKenna Douglas led all players with 13 digs.
For the third match in row, Fatimah Hall surpassed the 20-assist barrier after dishing out 23 helpers on Tuesday, sharing the setting chores with Sarena Gonzalez, who racked up 21 assists on the night.
Collectively, UNLV overcame 17 service errors, maintaining the statistical edge in kills (57-56), hitting percentage (.261 to .229), aces (9-4) and team blocks (11.0 to 9.0) to complete the reverse sweep and secure its fifth straight victory.
Despite posting more attack errors (11) than kills (6) in the fourth stanza, SDSU remained close in the early going, as an off-target Rebel attack knotted the score at 10-10. However, the Rebels' Gabrielle Arretche-Ramos followed with a kill, while Jordyn Freeman and Chloe Thomas combined on a block to put the host school in front for good.
Moments later, UNLV extended the margin to 20-15 on a kill by Arien Farfard before the Aztecs responded with a 4-1 spurt to pull within two. Tautua'a capped the run with a service ace after Cooper launched a non-returnable, trimming the margin to 21-19.
However, SDSU could draw no closer, as the Rebels kept the visitors at bay with a 4-1 surge to send the match to a decisive fifth set. UNLV received kills by Arretche-Ramos, Isabel Martin and Thomas, who provided the clincher after Martin joined forces with Freeman on another block.
Undaunted, the Aztecs maintained the upper hand for most of the final frame, building a series of three-point leads, including an 11-8 spread following an errant Rebel serve.
However, SDSU ultimately ran out of steam, suffering two service errors of its own sandwiched around yet another combined block by Martin and Dakota Quinlan, narrowing the gap to 12-11.
Shortly thereafter, UNLV won a successful challenge on a line call, which tied the score at 12-12. The Aztecs inched in front once again thanks to a Cooper blast, but the Rebels caught proverbial lightning in a bottle, scoring three straight points to escape with the victory. Following a Quinlan kill, Martin served up an ace, while SDSU's final attack sailed wide across court, ending the match.
The reigning MW Player of the Year, Martin led all players with 21 kills and four aces, just missing a double-double after amassing nine digs to go with four blocks, including a solo stop. In addition, Arretche-Ramos (.333) finished with 15 put-aways, while Farfard (30 assists) and Freeman (6 block assists) recorded match highs in their respective categories.
The Aztecs led by as many as six points in the opening set, building a 13-7 cushion after a Tautua'a kill. However, the Rebels crept back into contention thanks to a 14-8 run, which knotted the score at 21-21. Arretche-Ramos totaled four kills in that span and combined with Martin on a block, while Quinlan and Thomas joined forces on another rejection.
SDSU withstood the challenge, scoring four straight points to close out the frame. Schraeder's kill provided the clinching point after the Aztec junior combined with Corf on a block. In addition, the Aztecs benefited from a Rebel ball handling error following a Taylor Underwood non-returnable.
The Scarlet and Black logged its highest hitting percentage of the match with a .500 efficiency, blasting 17 kills against three errors in 28 attempts. Corf accounted for seven of those put-aways in the set, posting a .667 clip, while Schraeder and Haynie knocked down two shots apiece.
SDSU continued its brisk pace in the second stanza, hitting .333 on 15 kills against three miscues in 36 attempts while limiting UNLV to a .147 efficiency (11-6-34). Labno (.667) took center stage with four kills on six swings without an error in the set, while Corf (.750) and Haynie (.333) smashed three apiece.
Despite eight early ties and three lead changes, the Aztecs vaulted in front for good at 11-8 after an errant Rebel attack and consecutive kills by Corf and Haynie. UNLV twice cut the margin to two on a pair of Martin put-aways; however, SDSU responded with a timely 13-6 run to break open a tight 12-10 score and capture the set going away. After teaming with Tautua'a on a block to help ignite the blitz, Haynie provided two kills down the stretch, while Corf served up an ace for the clinching point that gave the Scarlet and Black a seemingly safe 2-0 lead in sets.
Despite an 11-11 deadlock in kills and a slim edge in team blocks (2.0 to 1.0) during the third set, SDSU was plagued by five service errors and five wayward attacks that hampered its chances for a sweep. Haynie (.800) paced the Aztec offense with four kills on five attempts without an error in the frame, while Corf launched three put-aways of her own.
The teams witnessed nine ties and five lead changes in the set, with the Scarlet and Black nursing a pair of slim one-point advantages, including an 18-17 edge following a bad UNLV set. However, the Rebels quickly reversed their fortunes, as consecutive kills by Arretche-Ramos and Martin ignited a crucial 8-2 closing run that gave the hosts new life.
Inconsistency hounded the Aztecs down the stretch, as two errant attacks, a bad set and a service error proved costly. Additionally, the Scarlet and Black was undone by a Livvy Setla ace, while Freeman and Thomas combined on a block, all of which foreshadowed an ominous conclusion.
San Diego State will look to regroup on Saturday, Sept. 23, when it returns home to face San José State on Aztec Court at Peterson Gym, starting at 1 p.m. PT. The Aztecs-Spartans clash will air live on the Mountain West Network.
Aztecs Drop Five-Set Heartbreaker at UNLV
