Aztecs Celebrate Mark Warner Day with Four-Set Victory over Spartans

SAN DIEGO – The San Diego State volleyball team completed an unblemished weekend homestand Saturday with a four-set triumph over San José State (25-18, 25-22, 23-25, 25-19) in a Mountain West clash inside a boisterous Aztec Court at Peterson Gym to highlight the team’s alumni reunion festivities, which included a tribute to former head coach Mark Warner.

With the win, the Aztecs secured their first two-match regular-season sweep of the Spartans since 2014, improving to 17-7 on the year and 9-5 in conference play to match their best start since the 2012 campaign. SDSU also climbs into a three-way tie third place in the MW standings with Fresno State and Utah State, both of whom lost on Saturday. Conversely, SJSU drops its second straight, falling to 13-5 overall and 5-5 in league action.

The teams combined for a whopping 43 ties and 22 lead changes in the see-saw contest. However, San Diego State maintained the statistical advantage in kills (53-43), digs (63-51) and team blocks (11.0 to 9.0) to pocket the hard-fought victory.

 In addition, the Aztecs out-hit the Spartans, .221 to .120, marking the seventh time in the last 11 matches the Scarlet and Black held an opponent under a .200 efficiency.

Three players posted double-digit kills for SDSU, including Taylor Underwood, who logged a season-best .542 hitting percentage (min. 12 kills) after blasting 14 kills in 24 attempts with just one error. In addition, the Aztecs received 13 put-aways from Shea Rubright (.435), while Kat Cooper (.438) floored 10 shots of her own.

Rubright also displayed her prowess at the net with a match-high seven blocks, featuring three solo stops, while Natalie Hughes finished with four rejections, including a pair of solo efforts as well.

Not to be outdone, setters Sarena Gonzalez (25 assists, 10 digs) and Andrea Campos (20 assists, 11 digs) each logged a double-double for the second match in a row, while Gianna Bender led all players with a career-high 24 digs.

Set one foreshadowed a gritty match as the two sides witnessed 10 ties and four lead changes. Trailing 18-17, the Aztecs inched in front for good thanks kills by Cooper and Underwood, who also joined forces with Rubright on a block in the interim, prompting a Spartan timeout. The pause ultimately proved futile, however, as the visitors committed five straight attack errors, allowing SDSU to capture the frame going away, 25-18.

In all, SJSU finished with a .000 hitting percentage for the set, with 10 miscues offsetting 10 kills in 43 attempts. Meanwhile, the Aztecs received six put-aways from Underwood in that span, while Cooper launched four non-returnables of her own. Additionally, the SDSU cause was advanced by Rubright’s three blocks, including two solo stuffs.

The second stanza evolved into another slugfest, featuring 14 tie scores and nine lead changes. The Spartans forged a late 22-21 lead after kill by Nayeli Ti’a and an Aztec attack error. However, the Scarlet and Black caught proverbial lightning in a bottle with a 4-0 rush to escape once again. Campos sparked the run with a dump shot that found empty floor space before a desperation overpass by SJSU went awry. After another timeout, Keira Herron served up an ace, while Jasmine Davis promptly followed with a kill to complete the comeback.

Previously, Rubright (5) and Underwood (4) kept the Scarlet and Black in contention by combining for nine of the team’s 15 kills in the set, while Hughes added a solo block.

Looking to complete the sweep, the Aztecs erased a 20-15 deficit late in the third frame with an 8-2 spurt, capped by another Hughes solo rejection. Rubright also smashed a kill during the run and joined forces with Davis on a block after a pair of Underwood put-aways.

Clinging to a slim 23-22 advantage, SDSU was unable to provide a finishing kick, as the Spartans scored three quick points to steal the set. After a Brooke Bryant kill, the Aztecs self-destructed with consecutive attack errors, sending the match into a fourth stanza.

The two sides battled through five early ties in that set, including an 11-11 deadlock following a Brooke Slusser ace. However, the Scarlet and Black seized control with a timely 8-3 run to take the lead for good. Bender and Campos each served up an ace in that span, while Hughes and Rubright combined on a block before Cooper and Davis duplicated the feat to give the host school a 19-14 advantage.

SJSU could draw no closer than three points the rest of the way, as Campbell Hague, Rubright and Hughes launched successive kills to cement the victory.

Blaire Fleming led all players with 15 kills for the Spartans, while Bryant and Jade Epps contributed five blocks apiece in the loss, including one solo stop each.

Following the match, the Aztecs held a special ceremony for Mark Warner, a valued member of the San Diego volleyball community who proudly represented San Diego State for nearly three decades as a women’s coach, men’s coach and as a player. He retired after serving 14 season as head coach of the SDSU women's program from 1995-2008.

The Aztecs return to the court next week when they travel to the Silver State to face Nevada on Thursday, Nov. 14, at Virginia Street Gym in Reno. First serve is set for 6 p.m. PT.