Aztec Surge Past Air Force in MW Opener

USAF ACADEMY, Colo. – The San Diego State volleyball team overcame a sluggish start to power past Air Force in four sets (16-25, 25-12, 25-20, 25-13) Thursday night in the Mountain West opener for both teams inside Cadet East Gym.

The Aztecs set a season high with 13.5 team blocks and limited the Falcons to a .048 hitting percentage over the final three frames to match their best start to a season (9-2) since 1995.

Despite a 7-3 deficiency in service aces, SDSU maintained the statistical advantage in kills (49-41), digs (49-44) and team blocks (13.5 to 5.5) to hand the Falcons (1-11, 0-1 MW) their 11th straight defeat.

Individually, the Aztecs received double-digit kills from Jasmine Davis (12) and Taylor Underwood (11), while Shea Rubright flashed her versatility, hitting .500 for the contest on seven put-aways without an error in 14 attempts. She also tied her season high with eight blocks, including a pair of solo efforts.

Not to be outdone, Kat Cooper displayed her all-around game with nine kills, committing just two miscues in 15 swings for a .467 efficiency while contributing five block assists.

Additionally, Natalie Hughes (5 kills) was a force at the net, finishing with a career-high six blocks, while Andrea Campos (22 assists) and Sarena Gonzalez (17 assists) largely split the setting chores. Gonzalez also completed her second straight double-double with a match-high 11 digs.

The Falcons posted their highest hitting percentage of the contest with a .346 clip in the opening set, knocking down 13 kills against four errors on 26 attempts, while the Aztecs struggled with a .154 pace, flooring just nine shots with five miscues in 26 tries.

Still, the Scarlet and Black nursed a 10-9 lead after an Underwood blast found daylight on the open floor. However, Grace Fiaseu responded with a kill and quickly joined forces with Ella Tschuor on consecutive blocks to spark a 16-6 closing run to give the host school the early lead. The Aztecs were victimized by four aces from Mia Lloyd, Annamarie Ramos, Fiaseu and Greta Hans down the stretch, while Ashley Bible contributed a pair of kills.

Unfazed, SDSU turned the tables in the second stanza with its highest efficiency of the match, hitting .500 on 17 put-aways against two errors in 30 attempts. Underwood (.500) led the Aztec charge with six kills alone in the frame, while Davis and Rubright total three apiece, with the latter contributing a trio of blocks as well, including a solo stuff.

Save for two early ties, SDSU led throughout, breaking open a relatively narrow 8-5 score with a strong 17-7 closing run to win the set going away.

The Falcons tried to regroup in the third frame, totaling 12 kills on 45 attempts; however, 12 attack errors derailed their efforts, largely thanks to the Aztecs’ 7.5 team blocks. Similarly, the Scarlet and Black experienced its own hitting woes in the set, as 10 put-aways were offset by five attack errors in 33 attempts for a .154 efficiency.

Nevertheless, SDSU found itself in pursuit mode for the first half of the frame, as a Bible service ace and a wayward Aztec attack gave the host school a seemingly comfortable 10-4 advantage.

True to this season’s form, however, San Diego State once again displayed its resiliency, narrowing the gap to 17-16, as Rubright combined with Hughes and Davis on consecutive blocks, which capped a 12-7 run.

Air Force responded with kills by Bible and Alex Hatchett to rebuild a three-point advantage at 19-16 and prompting an Aztec timeout.

Out of the break, SDSU caught proverbial lightning in a bottle with an emphatic 9-1 blitz to escape with the set. Cooper shouldered the burden almost exclusively down the stretch, supplying three kills while joining forces with Hughes and Davis on a pair of blocks.

The Aztecs rode that momentum into the fourth set, racing to an 15-7 lead before the Falcons scored three straight points on kills by Ramos and Fiaseu, followed by an errant SDSU set. However, Air Force was unable to draw closer, as Rubright and Davis each provided two late kills, while Gianna Bender served up an ace to help the Aztecs secure the match.

SDSU hit .423 in the set, racking up 13 kills against only two errors on 26 attempts, while the Falcons were limited to a .069 efficiency in that span. Individually, Davis stole the spotlight for the Aztecs with six put-aways in the frame, while Rubright, Cooper and Hughes collected two apiece.

Overall, Air Force was led by Tschuor and Bible, who tied Davis for match-high honors with 12 kills, while Lloyd completed a double-double with 19 assists and 10 digs in the loss.

San Diego State wraps up its weekend road swing on Saturday, Sept. 28, when it travels to the Land of Enchantment for a Mountain West clash against New Mexico, starting at 1 p.m. MT. The Aztecs-Lobos match will air live on the Mountain West Network. UNM suffered a 3-1 home defeat to UNLV in its conference lid-lifter on Thursday.