Aztecs Ousted at MW Tourney in Semifinal Loss to Colorado State
The fifth-seeded San Diego State volleyball team saw its run at the 2024 Credit Union 1 Mountain West Championship come to a disappointing conclusion Friday after dropping a hard-fought 3-1 decision to top-seeded Colorado State in the semifinals.
LAS VEGAS – The fifth-seeded San Diego State volleyball team saw its run at the 2024 Credit Union 1 Mountain West Championship come to a disappointing conclusion Friday after dropping a hard-fought 3-1 decision (25-20, 23-25, 21-25, 23-25) to top-seeded Colorado State in a semifinal showdown at Cox Pavilion.
With the loss, the Aztecs drop to 20-10 on the year and will await their postseason fate when NCAA Tournament bids are announced on Sunday, Dec. 1. Conversely, the Rams move to 19-10 overall and will play second-seeded San José State in the championship final on Saturday at 2 p.m.
Friday’s defeat marked the just the sixth time this season the Scarlet and Black lost when leading in kills (20-6). Despite maintaining a slim 55-53 advantage in that category and a slight edge in team blocks (8.0 to 7.0), the Aztecs were plagued by 10 aces and nine service errors en route to the loss.
After posting a .389 efficiency to capture the first set, San Diego State hit just .186 over the final three frames, as CSU employed timely runs to escape on each occasion.
Individually, the Aztecs were led by Jasmine Davis’ team-high 16 kills and 13 digs, which accounted for her ninth double-double of the season. The SDSU graduate transfer hit .424 for the day, committing just two errors on 33 attempts while adding two aces and three blocks, including one solo stop.
In addition, Taylor Underwood finished with 10 put-aways, while Natalie Hughes floored eight shots to go with a trio of block assists. Elsewhere, Shea Rubright posted a .545 efficiency, knocking down six kills without an error in 11 attempts, while Kat Cooper (5 kills) tied for match-high honors with five block assists.
The Aztec cause was also supplemented by the setting duo of Sarena Gonzalez (24 assists, 9 digs) and Andrea Campos (22 assists, 5 digs), while Talea Mitchell knocked down five kills off the bench.
SDSU led throughout the first set, grabbing a 9-2 lead it would not relinquish. Rubright smashed two kills and served up an ace in that opening run, while Hughes and Cooper joined forces on a block after Davis provided a solo rejection.
CSU trimmed the deficit to three on two occasions, including a 15-12 spread following a Malaya Jones kill. However, Underwood sparked a key 5-2 surge with a pair of put-aways to give the Aztecs a commanding 20-14 advantage. Moments later, Hughes combined with Rubright on a block and subsequently launched a late kill to help close out the frame.
A highly competitive second stanza witnessed 13 ties and five lead changes, as the Scarlet and Black rallied from a 20-17 deficit to inch in front 23-22 thanks to a Gonzalez service ace and an attack error sandwich around a kill by the Rams’ Kennedy Stanford. However, the Aztecs self-destructed down the stretch with consecutive errant swings on two open looks, while Jones followed with a service ace to abruptly clinch the set for CSU.
The teams traded punches in the third frame, where neither side led by more than three points. Clinging precariously to an 18-17 advantage following back-to-back kills by Cooper and Mitchell, SDSU was unable to cushion its lead, as the Rams scored four straight points to vault in front for good. Once again, the Aztecs committed a pair of untimely attack errors, interspersed with a Jones kill and service ace.
Suddenly trailing 21-18, SDSU attempted a late rally, as Underwood supplied a pair of kills, while Rubright followed with a put-away of her own. However, two additional errant attacks spelled doom for the Scarlet and Black.
Looking to extend the match, the Aztecs built a series of four-point leads in the fourth set, including a 16-12 spread following a CSU attack error. However, a quick 8-4 run put the Rams on top 20-19 shortly thereafter. Karina Leber stole the spotlight in that span with a kill and a pair of assisted blocks, joining forces with Stanford and Maria Brun on those rejections.
The two sides exchanged points on the next four serves before a Brun kill and an ill-timed SDSU attack error nudged CSU in front to stay at 23-21. Two late put-aways by Davis and Cara Braun proved futile for the Scarlet and Black, as Jones and Naeemah Weathers provided the two clinching kills for the Rams.
Colorado State was paced by Jones’ match-high 17 kills, while Leber launched 11 non-returnables to go with five block assists. Additionally, setter Emery Herman completed a double-double with 44 assists and 15 digs to lead all players.