Aztecs Prep for Long Beach State Tourney

SAN DIEGO -- The San Diego State volleyball team will remain road warriors for another week, returning to action for the Long Beach State Tournament, Sept. 11-13, at Walter Pyramid in Long Beach, California.
> The Aztecs open tournament play on Thursday when they battle Oregon at 7 p.m. PT, before locking horns with UC Riverside on Friday at 4 p.m., followed by Saturday’s finale vs. Long Beach State at 7 p.m. PT.
> All three matches will feature live stats, while Saturday’s showdown with the Beach will air live via subscription basis on ESPN+. 
> SDSU played three grueling matches at the Flo Hyman Classic last weekend in Houston, Texas, dropping a pair of tough five-set decisions to Houston (25-21, 15-25, 25-21,20-25, 11-15) and LSU (19-25, 25-22, 25-20, 23-25, 15-12) before rebounding with a 3-1 triumph over Omaha to wrap up the event (26-24, 21-25, 25-16, 25-22).

SERIES RECORDS
> San Diego State holds a 6-5 edge vs. Oregon in the all-time series since 1980.
> However, the Ducks have won four straight meetings, including a four-set decision (19-25, 15-25, 25-22, 10-25) in the Aztecs’ 2023 season opener at Peterson Gym.
> Among returners, SDSU was paced by Taylor Underwood (11 kills, .375), Madison Corf (7 kills, 2 block assists), Campbell Hague (6 kills) and Sarena Gonzalez (21 assists) in that contest in which Oregon entered with a No. 6 national ranking. 
> The Aztecs are 3-1 vs. the Ducks on a neutral court, splitting two matches in 1988 at the Titan Mikasa Collegiate Preview in Fullerton, California, the last time the programs met in a neutral gym.
> In addition, SDSU has notched a 2-2 record against Oregon at home and a 1-2 mark on the road.
> The Aztecs boast a 15-2 advantage against UC Riverside in 16 varsity meetings since 1976.
> SDSU squared off against the Highlanders last year at the CBU/UCR Challenge at Van Dyne Gym on the campus of California Baptist, where it overcame an early deficit to record a 3-1 victory (23-25, 25-20, 25-23, 25-21).
> The Aztecs were paced by Taylor Underwood’s 16 kills, while Keira Herron provided ample defensive support, tying her collegiate best with 18 digs.
> Despite an 11-9 deficiency in aces, SDSU maintained a collective 55-42 advantage in kills and a 9-7 edge in team blocks to help key its win.
> Although the Aztecs own a 26-19 record against Long Beach State in program history, the two teams have played just six times since 1995.
> The Beach posted a narrow 3-0 sweep (23-25, 19-25, 23-25) of the Scarlet and Black at Walter Pyramid on Sept. 14, 2021, the last time the two programs squared off.
> The Aztecs won 13 straight meetings in the series from Nov. 14, 1979-Nov. 9, 1984. The two former Big West rivals also locked horns in the 2001 NCAA Tournament, where LBSU claimed a 3-0 decision.
> SDSU enters the weekend with a 170-114 record against current members of the Big West Conference.

SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
> Oregon (5-0), which is receiving votes in the latest AVCA Division I coaches poll, swept a pair of matches at home last week to remain unbeaten on the season. The Ducks posted a three-set whitewash of Portland (25-21, 25-20, 25-23) on Sept. 3, before edging Colorado State in a 3-2 nail-biter (25-20, 25-18, 17-25, 19-25, 15-9), thwarting the Rams’ bid for a reverse sweep on Sept. 6. Offensively, Oregon boasts two players who are averaging over three kills per set in freshman Alana Clemente (3.62) and junior Valentina Vaulet (3.58), followed closely by freshman Maria Tabacuks (2.89). At the net, sophomore Iva Šucrovic is slotted second in the Big Ten with 29 blocks, which is tied for 54th nationally as of Sept. 9. In addition, Clemente tops the squad with a .379 hitting percentage, which ranks 13th in the Big Ten, and is slotted third on the team with 17 blocks, trailing Šucrovic and Holley McFadden (18). The Ducks’ defensive efforts have also received a boost from Tabacuks and freshman Natalie Fukumoto, who lead the team with 37 digs apiece, just ahead of Vaulet’s 36 scoops, while senior Cora Taylor ranks 18th in the conference with 6.58 assists per set (125 overall), sharing the setting chores with freshman Kamden Mitchell (4.72/set, 85). Collectively, Oregon finds itself among the top half of the Big Ten in several categories, occupying the third spot in blocks (2.89/set) and the fifth position in assists (12.84/set), which rank 16th and 34th in the nation, respectively. Additionally, the Ducks are slotted seventh in the league in hitting percentage (.282) and eighth in kills (13.47/set), which rank 35th and 63rd in the country, respectively, Oregon is under the direction of first-year head coach Trent Kersten, who arrives on the Eugene campus after spending the past two seasons at Loyola Marymount. In 2024, he directed the Lions to their first West Coast Conference title since 1996 and a second-round berth in the NCAA Championships. Prior to his stint at LMU, Kersten spent three years at San José State from 2020-22, highlighted by an appearance in the Mountain West tournament as the No. 2 seed in his final campaign. His career record stands at 97-40.

> UC Riverside (2-4) dropped two of three matches in the state of Utah last week, defeating Southern Utah in a five-set nail-biter (25-23, 21-25, 25-21, 15-25, 15-10) before suffering the opposite fate against Sacramento State (25-11, 11-25, 25-19, 21-25, 6-15) on SUU’s home floor  in Cedar City the next day, followed by a four-set defeat to Weber State (8-25, 20-25, 25-20, 10-25) in the Utah Tech Tournament on Sept. 6 in St. George. The Highlanders’ outside hitting duo of senior Sophia Ewalefo (3.78) and junior Mia Delahoussaye (3.28) are both averaging over three kills per set, while senior middle blocker Layla Hooks leads the team with a .388 hitting percentage. In addition, senior libero Jessica Dean is slotted second in the Big West with an average of 4.39 digs per set, which ranks 67th in the nation, while Makena Tong occupies the fifth spot in the league with an average of 7.96 assists per set. At the net, UCR is paced by the tandem of sophomore middle blocker Evelyn Hendrix (20 blocks) and junior right-side hitter Brianna Bowyer (10 blocks). As a team, the Highlanders are slotted 10th in the Big West in kills (11.09/set)  and assists (10.17/set) while occupying the basement in hitting percentage (.143) and blocks (1.26/set). UCR is under the direction of interim head coach Branden Higa, who spent the previous 13 seasons across town at California Baptist, where he compiled a 209-144 record. Prior to his return to Southern California, Higa, a former player at Pepperdine, served a three-year stint as an assistant coach at Mississippi State from 2009-11. 

> Long Beach State (3-3) won two of three matches in the Bay Area last weekend, defeating Santa Clara at the Mission Classic in four sets (22-25, 25-19, 25-18, 25-22) and sweeping San Francisco (25-23, 25-20, 25-16) in the Battle of the Bay on successive days after suffering a narrow whitewash to Portland State (23-25, 24-26, 20-25) on USF’s home court. Opposite hitter Logan King was named Big West Freshman of the Week after averaging 3.91 kills, 1.64 digs and 0.86 blocks per set in four matches, which included an 18-kill, seven-dig performance in a loss to UCLA on Sept. 1. King ranks fourth in the conference with 3.86 kills per set for the season, while sophomore setter Madi Maxwell is slotted fourth as well with 9.23 assists per frame. Not to be outdone, freshman middle blocker Sidney Hamaker occupies the third spot in the Big West with a .365 hitting percentage, while senior middle blockers Nieko Thomas (1.18) and  Rhiann Sheffie (1.05) rank fifth and seventh in the conference in blocks per set, respectively. Elsewhere, Maxwell tops the squad in digs (2.77/set) followed by libero Anna Jelinek (2.41/set). Collectively, LBSU leads the league in kills (13.86/set) and assists (12.27/set) while occupying the second spot in hitting percentage (.261) and the third position in blocks (2.39/set). Opponents are hitting .239 against the Beach, which ranks seventh in the Big West. Natalie Reagan is in her second year at the helm the LBSU program after leading the team to a 19-11 record and a spot in the conference semifinals as interim head coach in 2024. She joined the Beach coaching staff as an assistant in 2023 after serving as head coach at Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles.

TOURNAMENT CONNECTIONS
> San Diego State setter Bella Jones and Madi Collins, her counterpart at Long Beach State, were both teammates at Redondo Union High School. Collins was senior during the 2023 volleyball campaign at Redondo Union, while Jones was a junior, helping the Sea Hawks to the regional semifinals of the CIF Division I state playoffs.
> Earlier in round two of that same tournament, Jones’ Redondo Union squad posted a four-set triumph over Bishop Alemany High, which featured Alana Clemente, who is a freshman opposite hitter at Oregon.
> Aztec defensive specialist Rylie Sengdara also squared off against LBSU libero Jaedyn Houston as high school players in 2023. As a prep senior, Sengdara compiled six digs, two service aces and a pair of assists, according to MaxPreps, helping her Eleanor Roosevelt High squad to a 2-1 triumph over Houston’s Orange Lutheran High team in a non-conference home tournament. A junior in that match, Houston finished with 10 digs, five assists and one ace.
> In addition, Aztec libero Zara Stewart and Oregon setter Jillian McCarty faced one another as prep seniors in the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) Class 2A playoffs last season. Stewart posted a double-double with 20 kills and 12 digs, according to MaxPreps, leading her First Baptist Academy team to a 3-1 triumph in the regional semifinals over McCarty’s Westminster Academy squad of Fort Lauderdale. McCarty finished with four kills, 10 digs and two blocks in that contest.
> Long Beach State Executive Director of Athletics Bobby Smitheran spent 15 years as an administrator at San Diego State from 2008-23, including his final stint as Executive Associate Athletic Director.

UNDERWOOD REACHES CAREER MILESTONE
> Senior opposite hitter Taylor Underwood combined for 47 put-aways in three matches vs. Houston, LSU and Omaha last weekend at the Flo Hyman Classic, giving her over 1,000 kills for her career (1,019) after spending her freshman season at DePaul in 2022. 
> Underwood surpassed the double-digit plateau in all three contests, including a season-high 18 kills against Houston. She followed that effort with 15 additional put-aways vs. LSU before closing the tournament with 14 terminations against Omaha.
> Entering the weekend, the Norco, California, native ranks eighth in the Mountain West with an average of 3.10 kills per set (65 overall).
> Against LSU, Underwood also displayed her defensive prowess with a career-high seven blocks, including three solo stops, which matched her collegiate best.

SETTING AN EXAMPLE
> Freshman setters Kendall Mairs and Bella Jones enjoyed standout performances as well at the Flo Hyman Classic.
> Mairs led the team with 61 assists (4.36/set) and finished third with 27 digs (1.93/set). She also topped the squad with eight service aces for the tournament.
> Mairs logged her first career double-double with 20 assists and 12 digs in a five-set defeat to LSU, which was receiving votes in the latest AVCA poll. She also set a career-best with five aces vs. the Tigers, which marks a team season-high.
> In her first extensive action of the season, Jones averaged 4.29 assists (60 overall) and 1.36 digs (19 overall) in 14 sets across three matches last weekend, adding three service aces and one kill. 
> Jones led the Scarlet and Black with 25 assists against LSU while contributing eight digs and her first career ace.
> The following day against Omaha, Jones recorded her first collegiate double-double with 17 assists and 10 digs while adding two more aces.

SDSU IN MW RANKINGS
> Entering the week, Kendall Mairs is tied for fourth in the Mountain West with nine service aces (0.43/set) and is slotted 10th in assists (5.29/set).
> In addition, Taylor Underwood occupies the eighth spot in the conference with 3.10 kills per set, while Zara Stewart ranks ninth in digs (3.29/set).

ON THE HORIZON
> San Diego State returns to the friendly confines of Peterson Gym next week when it opens a three-match homestand, Sept. 18-20. The Aztecs will square off against UC San Diego and San Diego in a pair of crosstown battles on successive days before closing out the week with a match vs. Yale. SDSU’s encounters against the Tritons and Toreros are scheduled for a 7 p.m. PT start, while their clash with the Bulldogs is set for 1 p.m. All three matches will air live on the Mountain West Network.