Aztecs Rebound with Home Sweep of Nevada

SAN DIEGO – The San Diego State volleyball team snapped a two-match losing streak Saturday with a much-needed three-set triumph over Nevada (25-22, 25-20, 25-15) in a Mountain West clash on Aztec Court at Peterson Gym.

With the victory, the Aztecs logged their fourth sweep of the year, raising their record to 10-4 overall and 2-2 in conference play. In addition, SDSU’s 10-4 mark matches the program’s best 14-match start to a season since the 2007 campaign.

SDSU limited the Wolf Pack to a paltry .105 hitting percentage for the afternoon, including a minus-.115 clip in the third set, when the visitors mustered just six kills against nine errors in 26 attempts.

Conversely, the Aztecs finished with a .292 efficiency, owning a sizable 40-28 advantage kills while maintaining a slight edge in digs (32-29), service aces (6-5) and team blocks (6.0 to 5.0) to help key their victory.

SDSU’s Talea Mitchell led all players with 10 kills, while Taylor Underwood finished with nine put-aways of her own. In addition, the Scarlet and Black received a spark off the bench from Campbell Hague, who smashed seven kills without an error for a .636 hitting percentage while contributing a career-high four block assists.

The Aztecs’ fortunes also received a boost from Shea Rubright, who hit .455 for the match on six kills against one error in 11 swings, adding three service aces and a trio of blocks, including a solo stuff.

Elsewhere, the SDSU setting chores were split by Fatimah Hall (18 assists) and Andrea Campos (13 assists), while Gianna Bender led all players with 12 digs.

Unlike the previous two matches against New Mexico and Utah State, Saturday’s contest offered few dramatics, with the Aztecs leading for the majority of the afternoon, save for six ties, including four in the first set alone.

SDSU eventually built a series of five-point leads in the opening frame, including an 18-13 spread following a kill by Hague. Shortly thereafter, Nevada crept back into contention with a 7-4 spurt, which narrowed the gap to 22-20. Despite put-aways by the Aztecs’ Underwood and Kat Cooper, the Wolf Pack benefited from two service errors in that span, while Gabby McLaughlin countered with two kills after joining forces with McKenna Dressel on a block.

However, SDSU kept the visitors at bay with an Underwood kill and a Campos ace before Nevada self-destructed on the final point with an errant serve to close out the set.

Buoyed by their good fortune, the Aztecs built an 8-4 advantage in the second stanza, thanks to three kills by Mitchell, two by Underwood and a Jasmine Davis service ace. Moments later, the Wolf Pack responded with a 5-1 spurt, capped by consecutive Carissa Chainey service aces and a McLaughlin kill to tie the set at 9-9.

Stung, the Aztecs crafted a timely 10-4 blitz to give themselves some breathing room at 19-16. Rubright ignited the run with a solo block and later blasted a kill, while Mitchell launched two non-returnables of her own in that span. Additionally, SDSU was the beneficiary of two unforced attack errors, a bad set and a wayward serve by Nevada.

The Wolf Pack were unable to draw closer than three points the rest of the way, as the Scarlet and Black received a service ace and a kill from Rubright down the stretch, while Cooper and Underwood each floored a shot as well.

The Aztecs logged their best hitting percentage of the day with a .360 efficiency in third frame, collecting 13 kills against four errors in 25 attempts. Maintaining a precarious 15-12 advantage, the Scarlet and Black closed with an emphatic 10-3 run to secure the sweep. Hague combined with Rubright and Cooper on a pair of blocks before adding a late kill, while Davis quickly powered down a ball for the clinching point.

The Wolf Pack were led by McLaughlin’s eight kills, while Chainey and Bella Snyder (3 blocks) finished with six apiece in the loss.

San Diego State hits the road for a pair of conference matches next weekend, traveling to the Bay Area for a clash at San José State on Thursday, Oct. 10, before heading over to the Central Valley for a showdown with Fresno State on Saturday, Oct. 12.