ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The San Diego State volleyball team was unable maintain an early lead in its rematch against New Mexico Thursday, dropping a 3-1 decision (25-19, 21-25, 26-28, 16-25) in a Mountain West clash at Johnson Center.
Despite 11 kills apiece from Julia Haynie (.429), Taylor Underwood and Heipua Tautua'a, the Aztecs stumbled for the sixth time in their last seven starts, slipping to 8-14 on the year and 3-8 in league play, while the Lobos took over sole possession of second place in the conference standings, raising their record to 16-6 overall and 8-3 in MW action.
After posting a .256 efficiency in the opening set with 14 kills against just four errors in 39 attempts, SDSU hit just .081 for the rest of the match, including a minus-.032 clip in the fourth stanza when it committed nine miscues against eight kills in 31 swings.
Conversely, UNM logged a .296 hitting percentage in the final set with 12 put-aways against four errors in 27 attempts to close out the contest.
The Aztecs maintained a 54-49 advantage in kills for the night, but the Lobos held the edge in team blocks (12.0 to 8.0) and aces (7-2), overcoming nine service errors to defeat SDSU for the fifth straight meeting.
In addition to the aforementioned trio, the Aztecs welcomed back Madison Corf and Kat Cooper, who missed the previous five matches due to injury. Corf blasted eight kills and totaled three block assists, while Cooper launched three non-returnables of her own, adding a team-high four assists as well.
Elsewhere, Fatimah Hall (22 assists) and Sarena Gonzalez (20 assists) fulfilled their shared setting responsibilities, while McKenna Douglas anchored the back row with a match-high 18 digs, while Bailey Darnell scooped up 11 shots on the night. Hall just missed a double-double after finishing with nine digs, while Tautua'a narrowly missed the feat as well with eight scoops.
With the teams splitting the first two sets, SDSU raced to a 14-8 lead in the third frame after a joint block by Cooper and Underwood and a Lobo attack error.
However, UNM turned the tide with a timely 12-4 surge, vaulting in front by a 20-18 count after a wayward Aztec attack. Kaitlynn Biassou combined with Athina Dimitriadis and Elizabeth Woods on a pair of blocks, while Dimitriadis teamed with Uxue Guereca and Lauryn Payne on two other rejections to help key the run.
The Lobos maintained a series of two-point leads down the stretch, including a 24-22 spread following a Biassou kill. Undaunted, SDSU caught proverbial lightning in a bottle, as Tautua'a blasted three kills, while Underwood added another during a late 4-1 blitz that propelled the Scarlet and Black to set point on two occasions, 25-24 and 26-25. However, the Aztecs found the clinching point elusive, as the Lobos scored three straight points to escape. Payne and Guereca sparked the turnaround with consecutive put-aways, while SDSU followed with an errant attack.
The Aztecs tried to regroup in the fourth set, forging a series of early ties, including a 6-6 deadlock after a combined block by Corf and Cooper. However, the Lobos utilized a 15-7 run to seize control at 21-13, and SDSU never threatened again.
Biassou led all players with 17 kills for the night, while Guereca launched 11 non-returnables of own and tied Kali Wolf for match-high honors with three service aces. Additionally, Dimitriadis assisted on a match-best six blocks, while Woods finished with five rejections, including a solo stop.
SDSU featured a balanced attack in the first set, with Tautua'a, Haynie, Underwood and Campbell Hague supplying three kills apiece. The Aztecs led wire-to-wire, but UNM nearly erased 9-3 deficit after twice narrowing the gap to one, including a 13-12 spread after a Dimitriadis kill. However, Elly Schraeder floored a shot and joined forces with Underwood on a block to spark a 7-3 blitz that gave the visitors a 19-14 cushion. Underwood smashed two put-aways, while Tautua'a capped the run with another kill, helping to keep the Lobos at bay.
The teams combined for six ties in the second stanza, including a 20-20 deadlock following a Corf kill. However, SDSU was unable to seize the upper hand, as UNM closed with a 5-1 rush to derail the Aztecs' momentum. Biassou supplied two kills and teamed with Woods on a block down the stretch, while Guereca added a non-returnable and a service ace before Wolf provided the clinching kill moments later.
San Diego State will look to regroup on Saturday, Oct. 28, when it heads to Colorado Springs to face Air Force in its weekend finale, starting at 1 p.m. MT/noon PT.
Aztecs Stumble in Four Sets at New Mexico
