Aztecs Fall in Three Sets at Colorado State

 

FORT COLLINS, Colo. – The San Diego State volleyball team kept the score close the first two sets of Saturday’s Mountain West showdown at first-place Colorado State but was unable to extend the match, ultimately dropping a tough 3-0 decision (25-27, 21-25, 14-25) inside Moby Arena.

With the loss, the Aztecs (15-7, 7-5 MW) find themselves in a tie for fifth place in the conference standings with Boise State (15-8, 7-5 MW), while the Rams (14-8, 10-2 MW) maintain their top perch after earning a split in the season series with the Scarlet and Black.

SDSU was led by Talea Mitchell’s eight kills, while Shea Rubright (.538) and Taylor Underwood finished with seven put-aways each. In addition, Andrea Campos (15 assists) and Sarena Gonzalez (8 assists) shared the bulk of the setting chores, while Gianna Bender (6 assists) led all players with 14 digs.

Collectively, the Aztecs were out-hit .304 to .165, as the Rams maintained the advantage in most other statistical categories, including kills (45-34), service aces (10-4), digs (41-38) and team blocks (10.0 to 3.0). Saturday match marked only the second time this season an SDSU opponent has produced a .300 efficiency or better in a match.

After trailing 9-1 early in the first set, the Aztecs responded with a 9-3 run of their own, which narrowed the gap to 12-10. However, the Rams seemingly regained the momentum with four straight points on kills by Naeemah Weathers and Malaya Jones, interspersed with a pair of Emery Herman service aces.

Undaunted, SDSU fought back to tie the frame on three occasions, staving off two set points after kills by Hughes and Kat Cooper, respectively. With the score knotted at 25-25, however, the Aztecs were unable to seize the upper hand, as Karina Leber and Kennedy Stanford combined on a block, while a misguided set by the Scarlet and Black on the ensuing point allowed the Rams to escape.

The teams combined for nine ties and four lead changes early in the second stanza before CSU vaulted in front to stay thanks to a 6-1 surge that erased a 10-9 deficit. After a Jones put-away and an errant Aztec attack, Weathers knocked down four kills to give the host school a 15-11 edge.

SDSU remained in hot pursuit, twice cutting the margin to one, including a 21-20 spread after Rubright blasted a kill. After the Rams answered with a Herman put-away, the Aztecs self-destructed down the stretch with three attack errors over the next four points, giving CSU a 2-0 commanding lead on the set scoreboard.  

The Aztecs found themselves in a similar position in their previous encounter with the Rams on Oct. 17, before storming back to complete the reverse sweep at Peterson Gym. However, the Scarlet and Black could not recapture that magic on Saturday, as Colorado State won the third set going away to secure the victory.

SDSU was limited to its lowest hitting percentage of the day with a .043 efficiency in the frame, totaling just seven kills against six errors in 23 attempts. Conversely, the Rams displayed their finished kick with a match-best .360 pace in that span, flooring 13 shots with only four miscues in 25 swings.

Still, the Aztecs trailed just 9-7 after a Davis put-away helped ease the sting of a 5-1 deficit. However, the set spiraled out of control for the visitors at this juncture, as CSU employed a pivotal 8-2 blitz to put the score all but out of reach. Kate Yoshimoto served up consecutive aces and Maria Brun launched a pair of kills to spark the run, while Weathers and Jones combined on a block.

Jones led all players with 17 kills and hit .324 for the match, while Weathers finished with 10 put-aways and a match-high four block assists in the win.

San Diego State looks to regroup next Thursday, Nov. 7, when it plays host to Fresno State at 6 p.m. PT. The Aztecs-Bulldogs clash will air live on the Mountain West Network. For ticket information log on to GoAztecs.com.