SAN DIEGO – San Diego State volleyball head coach Brent Hilliard has released the team's highly anticipated schedule for the 2024 campaign, with the Aztecs slated to play 29 matches this fall, highlighted by 18 Mountain West battles and 11 non-conference encounters.
In all, SDSU's attractive yet challenging schedule features eight teams that finished with a winning record last year, combining for a 171-105 ledger (.620), as five of those squads qualified for postseason play.
The Aztecs eagerly embark on their regular-season slate when they travel north for the Idaho State Tournament, Aug. 30-Sept. 1, in the first of four non-conference invitationals. During its visit to Pocatello, SDSU will square off against the host Bengals, Seattle University and CSUN.
The Aztecs captured both meetings against ISU in 1988 and 1993 and maintain an unblemished mark in four previous matches vs. the Redhawks from 2009-18. In addition, SDSU boasts an 11-4 record against the Matadors in a series that dates back to 1985.
The Aztecs will return to the friendly confines of Peterson Gym the following weekend for the San Diego State Invitational, featuring the trio of DePaul (Sept. 5), Portland State (Sept. 6) and Tulane (Sept. 7).
The Scarlet and Black opens its home tournament against a Blue Demons squad that compiled an 18-15 overall record in 2023, highlighted by a second-round appearance in the NIVC. The two sides have met on just one previous occasion, with SDSU claiming a three-set decision in the 2011 DePaul Invitational.
Conversely, the Aztecs will be looking to avenge a sweep at the hands of the Vikings in Portland State's home tournament last season. Despite the setback, SDSU still holds a 4-1 edge in the all-time series.
The 2011 campaign also marked the last time the Aztecs faced the Green Wave, with SDSU falling in a five-set thriller at the Allstate Sugar Bowl Collegiate Classic in New Orleans. Prior to that engagement, San Diego State posted consecutive victories in a home-and away series in 2001-02.
The Aztecs will then make the short drive up the freeway for a tournament in Riverside, California, where the Scarlet and Black will face California Baptist, Incarnate Word and UC Riverside. The event will be conducted Sept.12-14 or Sept. 13-15.
The tournament marks SDSU's inaugural meetings with CBU and UIW. In addition, the Aztecs maintain a 14-3 all-time record against UCR despite dropping a 3-1 decision in their last encounter with the Highlanders at the 2021 Wildcat Classic in Tucson, Arizona.
The following week, the Aztecs will close out their non-conference slate with a return trip to the Pacific Northwest for the Gonzaga Tournament, Sept. 20-21, in Spokane, Washington, where they will battle the host Zags before squaring off against Eastern Washington, respectively.
SDSU looks to replicate its success on an identical excursion last season when it recorded a pair of 3-0 sweeps against the same two teams. With their victories, the Aztecs raised their record to 3-1 against Gonzaga while maintaining a spotless 5-0 mark vs. EWU.
San Diego State will fly the friendly skies for its first two Mountain West matches when it travels to Air Force (Sept. 26) and New Mexico (Sept. 28), beginning a series of alternating home and away matches on subsequent weekends for the remainder of the regular season.
With 18 conference matches in an unbalanced schedule, the Aztecs will face each MW school both at home and on the road, except for UNLV (Oct. 22 – home) and Boise State (Oct. 24 – away). The Rebels have advanced to postseason play in each of the last six seasons, including a first-round appearance in the NIVC a year ago.
SDSU hosts its first two conference opponents of the 2024 campaign the following week when it battles defending MW regular-season champion and NCAA tournament participant Utah State (Oct. 3) before locking horns with Nevada (Oct. 5) two days later.
The Aztecs resume their role of road warriors the following week when they head to the Bay Area for a showdown at San José State (Oct. 10) before returning south via the Central Valley for a matchup with defending conference tournament champion Fresno State (Oct. 12), which received the league's automatic NCAA bid last year.
SDSU quickly returns to "America's Finest City" for its longest homestand of the MW schedule when it welcomes Colorado State (Oct. 17), Wyoming (Oct. 19) and UNLV (Oct. 22) in succession.
Conversely, a three-match road swing promptly awaits the Scarlet and Black when it visits Boise State (Oct. 24) before jaunting over to the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains for rematches with Wyoming (Oct. 31) and Colorado State (Nov. 2). respectively. Last season, the Cowgirls advanced to the Great Eight round of the NIVC.
The following weekend, the Aztecs continue the second half of their conference schedule facing the same opponents in reverse order of the first half by welcoming Fresno State (Nov. 7) and San José State (Nov. 9).
Return engagements with Nevada (Nov. 14) and Utah State (Nov. 16) are on the docket before SDSU closes out it regular-slate by battling the same two teams it began MW play against—New Mexico (Nov. 21) and Air Force (Nov. 23).
For the third time in four years, the Mountain West Championship will be held at UNLV's Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas, Nevada, from Nov. 27-30, with the league's top six teams vying for the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
With Coach Hilliard entering his fifth season at the helm, the Aztecs will benefit from the return of 12 letterwinners, including 2023 All-Mountain West honoree Taylor Underwood, who finished sixth in the conference with 3.38 kills and 3.88 points per set against league foes last season, highlighted by a career-high 31 kills in a home match vs. Air Force.
In addition, SDSU has added three standouts to its 2024 newcomer class thus far, including Division I transfers Jasmine Davis (UConn) and Shea Rubright (Washington State), along with Arizona prep star Talea Mitchell.
Season tickets are now on sale for San Diego State's 2024 home schedule and may be purchased online at the link above or by calling 619-283-SDSU.
Aztecs Reveal 2024 Schedule
