Aztecs Sweep Nevada on Alumni Night

SAN DIEGO – The San Diego State volleyball team celebrated Alumni Night with a 3-0 sweep of Nevada (25-22, 25-23, 25-22) on Thursday in a Mountain West match on Aztec Court at Peterson Gym.
 
With nearly three dozen former players and coaches in attendance, the Aztecs snapped a three-match losing streak, moving to 9-15 on the year and 4-9 in conference play, while the Wolf Pack slip to 7-17 and 3-10 in MW action.
 
Neither team hit well for the match, with each side posting 23 attack errors, 46 digs and eight overall blocks apiece.
 
However, SDSU maintained a decisive edge in kills (41-27), recording a greater attack percentage (.149 to .039), while holding a slight edge in service aces (6-5). Additionally, the Aztecs survived nine service errors, compared to four for Nevada, to hold on for the victory.
 
Individually, Taylor Underwood led all players with 12 kills, while Heipua Tautua'a and Madison Corf finished with eight put-aways each. Julia Haynie (.417) also launched seven non-returnables of her own and totaled a match-high five blocks, including a solo rejection.
 
Once again, McKenna Douglas provided support along the back row, collecting a match-best 17 digs, while Bailey Darnell scooped up eight shots. In addition, the setting responsibilities were shared by Fatimah Hall (19 assists) and Sarena Gonzalez (12 assists).
 
Save for an early 1-1 tie, the Aztecs led throughout the opening set, gradually building a 15-9 lead by the media timeout. However, Nevada would not go quietly, trimming the deficit to one on three occasions, including a 19-18 spread after a kill by Gabby McLaughlin and a bad set.
 
Unfazed, SDSU kept the Wolf Pack in its rear-view mirror at 22-18 after a kill by Amber Keen and a Hall service ace, sandwiched around an attack error. Nevada twice pulled within two, but Underwood struck for two late kills, including the clinching point.
 
Underwood knocked down four shots overall in the first set, while Tautua'a added three kills in that span.
 
The two sides combined for nine ties and three lead changes in a closely contested second stanza, as neither side could build on their respective three-point advantages. With the score knotted at 21-21, the Aztecs fashioned a timely 4-2 run to escape with the set. Underwood sparked the run with a kill and combined with Keen on a block shortly thereafter to secure the frame.
 
Despite 10 attack errors, SDSU received four kills apiece from Underwood and Corf in the set, while Tautua'a finished with three strikes of her own. The Aztecs limited the Wolf Pack to a .000 hitting percentage in the second frame after the visitors offset nine kills with nine errors in 39 attempts.
 
The Scarlet and Black seemed poised to run away with the third set after racing to an 11-4 lead. However, the Wolf Pack responded with a 15-7 surge to vault in front by a 19-18 score. Hikialani Kaohelaulii served up three aces in that stretch, while Sia Liilii launched a kill and teamed with Bella Snyder on a block. Additionally, the Aztecs were plagued by two wayward serves, a bad set and a ball-handling error in that span.
 
Once again, San Diego State flashed its resiliency, as the host school quickly regrouped with a 7-3 closing run to complete the sweep. Corf knocked down a kill, while Keen and Campbell Hague followed with a block to give the Aztecs much-needed momentum. Shortly thereafter, Underwood followed two consecutive strikes, while Darnell served up ace to abruptly end the night, as the SDSU bench erupted in jubilation.
 
Underwood led the Aztecs with four kills in the final set, while Haynie finished with three put-aways, adding a pair of block assists along with Hague. The Wolf Pack hit at another dubious .000 clip in the frame, knocking down just seven kills against seven errors in 32 swings.
 
McLauglin and Liilii finished with seven kills apiece for Nevada in the loss, while Kaohelaulii compiled 11 digs and four aces on the night.
 
San Diego State continues its homestand on Saturday, Nov. 4, when it plays host to Fresno State, starting at 12:30 p.m. PT. The fourth-place Bulldogs (14-10, 8-5 MW) defeated UNLV in four sets on the road Thursday night.
 
The Aztecs are now two matches behind Air Force and UNLV, both of which are tied for sixth in the MW standings, as the top six teams qualify for the conference tournament later this month.