Aztecs Rally Past Oregon in Five-Set Thriller

LONG BEACH, Calif. – The San Diego State volleyball team rallied from a 2-1 deficit in sets to defeat Oregon in a 3-2 thriller (25-14, 24-26, 24-26, 25-23, 15-12) on Thursday in the opening match of the Long Beach State Tournament at Walter Pyramid.

The Ducks maintained the statistical advantage in kills (57-49) and team blocks (13.0 to 8.0) but struggled mightily at the service line, committing a whopping 28 errors compared to seven aces, while the Aztecs finished with five aces against 16 miscues.

In addition, Oregon (5-1) totaled six more attack errors on the night (27-21) en route to its first defeat of the young season.

Individually, Amber Keen blasted a career-high 14 kills and hit .650 for the match, committing one error in 20 attempts to help SDSU even its record at 3-3 on the year.

Madison Corf returned to the lineup and gave the Scarlet and Black a boost with 11 put-aways, while Taylor Underwood also reached the double-digit plateau with 10 terminations of her own.

The Aztec cause was also advanced by Zara Stewart, who tied for game-high honors with 15 digs, while Bella Jones notched her second straight double-double with 19 assists and 10 digs, sharing the setting duties with Kendall Mairs, who dished out 16 helpers in the victory.

SDSU received additional support at the net from Underwood, who collected three blocks, including a pair of solo rejections, while Talea Mitchell combined on a trio of blocks as well.

The Aztecs found themselves trailing by as many as nine points in the third set, including a 20-11 deficit following an attack error. However, the Scarlet and Black displayed their trademark resilience, fashioning a valiant 13-4 run to tie the score at 24-24. Ella Schabort helped key the run with a kill, a service and a joint block with Campbell Hague, while Corf powered down two swings in that span.

Although Oregon scored the next two points on a service error and a kill by Sophia Meyers to escape with the set and build a 2-1 advantage, the frantic comeback gave SDSU momentum for the remainder of the contest.

The two teams combined for 13 ties and eight lead changes in a hotly contested fourth set, with the Aztecs fighting to extend the match. The Ducks held a 13-10 advantage in kills and a 6.0 to 2.0 edge in team blocks during the frame. However, Oregon was undone by six service errors, compared to two for SDSU, which ultimately proved costly.

Trailing 20-18 after a joint block by the Ducks’ Marlee Arrington and Maria Tabacuks, the Aztecs tallied five straight points to surge into the lead, capitalizing on two errant Oregon attacks, while Underwood and Mitchell each knocked down a kill, with the latter joining forces with Corf on a block.

The Ducks countered with three straight points of their own, aided by an SDSU service error, a wayward attack and a kill by Meyers. But Oregon was unable to seize the upper hand, as an attack error derailed its momentum, while Corf followed with a kill, allowing the Scarlet and Black to escape and extend the match.

The stage was now set for a decisive fifth set, where an errant Duck serve fittingly vaulted the Aztecs into the lead for good at 8-7, while Keen soon followed with a kill. Moments later, Stewart served up an ace, while Schabort added a pair of kills to give SDSU a comfortable 13-10 lead.

Oregon pulled to within 14-12 on kill by Valentina Vaulet, but Corf quickly launched a non-returnable of her own to end the marathon match.

Vaulet led all players with 16 kills and completed a double-double after collecting 10 digs, while Meyers (.361) finished with 14 put-aways in the loss. In addition, Natalie Fukumoto tied the Aztecs’ Stewart for match-high honors with 15 digs, while Iva Šucurovic topped all competitors with eight block assists.

SDSU posted its best hitting percentage of the night with a .448 clip in the first set, knocking down 14 kills on 29 swings with just one error. Keen floored five shots in the frame, while Hague and Underwood totaled three apiece. Conversely, Oregon was limited to just eight kills in 26 attempts, committing five errors for a .115 efficiency.

The Aztecs were never threatened after racing to a 13-5 lead, as Hague blasted consecutive kills after combining with Schabort on a block.

However, the second stanza proved to be a much closer affair, with the scoreboard witnessing 10 ties, including a 19-19 deadlock following a Vaulet kill. Two errant Duck attacks sandwiched around a Keen put-away catapulted the Scarlet and Black into the lead at 22-19.

The three-point advantage quickly evaporated, as Oregon caught proverbial lightning in a bottle with a 7-2 closing run to steal the set and tie the match at 1-1. Šucurovic launched a kill and teamed with Ksenija Tomic and Meyers on a pair of blocks down the stretch, with the latter serving up an ace for the clinching point.

The Long Beach State Tournament continues on Friday when San Diego State battles UC Riverside at 4 p.m. PT.