Aztecs Prepare for Two MW Matches This Week

SAN DIEGO -- Tied for first place in the Mountain West standings, the San Diego State volleyball team looks to maintain its lofty perch this week when it faces Grand Canyon and UNLV in a pair of conference showdowns.

> The Aztecs wrap up their three-match homestand on Thursday, Oct. 16, when they lock horns with MW newcomer GCU at 6 p.m. PT, before traveling to Las Vegas for a rematch with the Rebels on Saturday, Oct. 18, beginning at 1 p.m. PT.
> Along with live stats, both matches will air live on the Mountain West Network with links available on GoAztecs.com. Fans can also catch the live action on their smartphones or TVs by downloading the MW app.
> Thursday’s encounter with the Lopes has been designated as the SDSU volleyball program’s Dig Pink Match in support of the Side-Out Foundation's research into metastatic breast cancer. Aztec players will don pink warm-ups prior to the contest, and the first 250 fans will receive a free reversible SDSU bucket hat.

QUICK HITS
> San Diego State remains tied for first place in the Mountain West standings after posting a four-set victory over New Mexico on Oct. 9 (25-10, 20-25, 25-22 25-23) followed by a three-set sweep of Nevada two days later (25-20, 25-18, 25-22, 25-23). 
> With the results, the Aztecs share the top perch in the conference along with Utah State.
> In addition, SDSU’s 6-0 record in the MW marks its best start to a conference schedule since 1995, when the Aztecs went 8-0 en route to winning the Western Athletic Conference regular-season title with a 13-1 mark.
> Senior opposite hitter Taylor Underwood led the Scarlet and Black with 26 kills (3.71/set) for the week, extending her streak to 13 straight outings with 10 or more put-aways after finishing with double-digit kills against the Lobos (16) and Rebels (10).
> Not to be outdone, freshman libero Zara Stewart paced the Scarlet and Black with 34 digs (4.86 digs/set) in the two matches, helping SDSU limit the opposition to a combined .131 hitting percentage for the week. 
> Elsewhere, freshman setter Kendall Mairs displayed her versatility with 40 assists (5.71), 26 digs (3.71/set) and five aces (0.71/set).
> Entering the week, Underwood ranks second in the MW with 3.60 kills per set, while Stewart occupies the fifth spot in digs (3.57/set). In addition, junior middle blocker Keen is slotted eighth with a .321 hitting percentage and ninth with 1.16 blocks per set, while Mairs ranks 10th in assists (5.24/set).

SERIES RECORD VS. GRAND CANYON
> The Aztecs have faced the Lopes on one previous occasion, dropping a three-set decision in the finale of the GCU Invitational on Sept. 14, 2019.
> Thursday’s match will mark the first meeting between the two schools in Mountain West competition after Grand Canyon joined the conference in July 2025. 
> San Diego State will travel to Phoenix for the rematch against the Lopes on Thursday, Nov. 6.

SERIES RECORD VS. UNLV
> San Diego State owns a slight 31-29 edge in the all-time series since the two programs first met in 1985.
> The Aztecs are 20-9 against the Rebels in San Diego, 11-17 in Las Vegas and 0-2 on a neutral court.
> The two teams squared off inside Aztec Court at Peterson Gym on Oct. 11, with the Scarlet and Black completing a three-set sweep (25-21, 27-25, 25-21).
> After capturing the opening frame, SDSU faced a 24-19 deficit in the second stanza, as UNLV reached set point. Staring at likely 1-1 tie on the set scoreboard, the Aztecs' fortunes changed dramatically when the host school fashioned an improbable 8-1 run to escape.
> SDSU also found itself on the wrong end of an 18-15 score in the third set before closing with a strong 10-3 blitz to finish the match. Amber Keen knocked down two kills in that span, while Taylor Underwood and Natalie Hughes each floored a shot in that span.

SDSU IN MW RANKINGS
> As of Oct. 15, opposite hitter Taylor Underwood occupies the second spot in the Mountain West with 3.60 kills per set, while libero Zara Stewart is slotted sixth the league with 3.63 digs per set. In addition, middle blocker Amber Keen ranks eighth with a .321 hitting percentage and ninth with 1.16 blocks per set, while Kendall Mairs has climbed into the 10th position with 5.24 assists per set.
> Madison Corf’s career-high .750 hitting percentage (16-1-20) against UC San Diego on Sept. 18 marks the top efficiency in the league so far this season, while Keen’s collegiate-best .650 clip (14-1-20) vs. Oregon at the Long Beach State Tourney ranks seventh.
> Stewart collected a career-high 26 digs vs. New Mexico on Oct. 9, which represents the highest total in the conference during a four-set match so this year and is tied for second overall.
> Mairs served up five aces against LSU at the Flo Hyman Classic on Sept. 5, which is tied for the fourth-best figure in the MW thus far
> Campbell Hague and Ella Schabort recorded four aces apiece vs. Omaha at the same tournament the following day, which tied for the seventh-highest figure in the conference. Schabort later duplicated the feat at home against New Mexico.
> Underwood’s 22 kills at San José State on Sept. 27 is tied for the sixth-best total in the league thus far.
> In that same match vs. the Spartans, Keen and Natalie Hughes collected nine blocks apiece, which is tied for the 12th-highest figure in the conference. Keen also contributed nine blocks vs. New Mexico, including a pair of solo efforts. 
> Entering the week, San Diego State leads the Mountain West with a .147 opponent hitting percentage in conference play and ranks second in that statistic for all matches (.177).
> In addition, the Aztecs are slotted third in the conference in service aces (1.57/set) while occupying the fifth position in blocks (2.21/set).
> Elsewhere, SDSU ranks seventh in both kills (12.31/set) and digs (13.55/set) while occupying the eighth spot in assists (11.22/set). 
> The Aztecs’ 14 service aces against Omaha represents the top team performance in the conference so far this season.
> In addition, SDSU’s 14 aces equaled its highest total since Nov. 23, 2001, in a three-set triumph over Denver at the Wildcat Classic in Tucson, Arizona.
> The Aztecs’ .369 team hitting percentage vs. UCSD marks the seventh-best clip in the MW thus far. 
> SDSU's 50 kills at Nevada on Oct. 4 is tied for the fifth-highest total in the three-set match in the conference.

NO PLACE LIKE HOME
> Since the beginning of the 2009 campaign, Aztecs have amassed a 133-87 (.605) record at home, highlighted by a 14-0 mark during the 2012 season when SDSU captured the Mountain West championship.
> The Aztecs posted a 10-2 ledger at Peterson Gym last year, marking their first season with double-digit home victories since the 2017 campaign, when the Scarlet and Black went 10-5.
> SDSU is  9-8 in its last 17 home openers after posting a 3-1 decision over UC San Diego in its 2025 lid-lifter on Sept. 18.
> With their victory over the Tritons, the Aztecs are 31-19 in home openers since the program’s inception in 1976.

ODDS AND ENDS
> The Aztecs have held all 17 opponents under a .300 hitting percentage this year. SDSU is 8-2 thus far when limiting the opposition below a .200 efficiency. Last season, SDSU went 16-0 when holding opponents to a hitting percentage below .200. 
> SDSU is 6-0 this season when out-blocking the opposition and 9-1 when maintaining a greater hitting percentage. Last year the Aztecs went 16-5 when leading in blocks and 19-3 when out-hitting their opponents.
> SDSU is 7-3 in matches following a victory in 2025 and 4-2 in contests following a loss.
> Senior opposite hitter Taylor Underwood launched 10 kills against UNLV on Oct. 11, extending her streak of double-digit kills to 13 straight matches. The Norco, California, native also ranks fourth on the squad with 34 blocks, highlighted by a career-best three solo rejections vs. LSU on Sept. 5.
> Freshman libero Zara Stewart has surpassed the double-digit barrier for digs in 15 of 17 matches this year, including a career-high 26 scoops vs. New Mexico on Oct. 9.
> Amber Keen has recorded at least one block in 15 straight matches and 16 of 17 contests this season. The Reno, Nevada, native tied her collegiate best with nine blocks vs. New Mexico, including two solo stops, after logging a career-high nine block assists at San José State on Sept. 27.

MATCH CONNECTIONS
>  UNLV assistant coach Deja Harris is a Las Vegas native and former Aztec standout who competed at San Diego State from 2014-18. Harris is one of only four players in MW history with 1,250 career kills and 550 career blocks, ranking 11th all-time in conference history with 561 career blocks and 27th with 1,306 career kills. She was named to the Mountain West 25th Year Team in 2023.

SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
> Grand Canyon (10-7, 2-4 MW) won its first two Mountain West matches last week, posting a four-set triumph at UNLV on Oct. 9 (25-17, 25-20, 23-25, 25-23) before sweeping New Mexico at home two days later (25-22, 25-22, 25-17). With their results, the Lopes move to 6-5 at home this season while maintaining a 4-2 mark in road/neutral matches. Setter/opposite hitter Bella Nunez earned dual MW Offensive Player of the Week and Freshman of the Week honors after compiling 22 kills (3.14/set), 35 assists (5.00/set), 23 digs (3.29/set), five blocks and two service aces against the Rebels and Lobos. Despite sitting out two of the last four matches, graduate transfer Hayden Goodman leads the conference in blocks (1.51/set), while freshman Aubrey Bellus (1.22/set) ranks seventh in that statistic. In addition, sophomore Aubrey Goodere is slotted third in the conference with a .347 hitting percentage, while, fellow classmate Taylor Kubacak tops the squad in assists (5.11/set) and occupies the fourth position in the MW in service aces (0.34/set). Elsewhere, senior Anaelena Ramirez ranks eighth in the MW in kills (3.22/set), while junior Bella Anderson leads the team in digs (3.07/set), followed closely by Nunez (3.03/set). Collectively, GCU is slotted second in the conference in blocks (2.78/set) and  fifth in digs (14.70/set) but ranks just eighth in kills (12.24/set) and ninth in hitting percentage (.203).  The Lopes are under the direction of second-year head coach Kendra Potts, who arrived on the Phoenix campus after spending the previous five previous seasons at West Texas A&M, where she guided the Buffaloes to consecutive appearances in the NCAA Division II finals, highlighted by a national championship in 2022. For her efforts that season, Potts was named AVCA National Coach of the Year.

> UNLV (8-8, 2-4 MW) has dropped three straight, falling to Grand Canyon at home in four sets on Oct. 9 (17-25, 20-25, 25-23, 23-25)  before suffering a three-set sweep at SDSU two days later (21-25, 25-27, 21-25). With their results, the Rebels slip to 6-4 in road/neutral matches while maintaining a 2-4 record at home. Prior to Saturday’s rematch with the Aztecs, UNLV will play host to New Mexico on Thursday night. Offensively, the Rebels are led by redshirt sophomore Jaida Harris, a transfer from Long Beach State who leads the Mountain West in service aces (0.41/set, 24 overall) and ranks sixth in kills (3.34/set), while senior Alondra Alarcon (3.18/set) is slotted 10th as of Oct. 15. In addition, sophomore Rheanna Deen-Jackson occupies the sixth spot in the league with 1.29 blocks per set and tops the squad with a .328 hitting percentage, while junior Caleigh King ranks seventh in the conference in digs (3.54/set). Elsewhere, freshman Kaia Thiele (5.13 assists/set), junior Agata Makowska (4.33/assists/set) and freshman Alexas Ankerstar (3.79 assists/set) have all seen action at the setter position this season. As a team, UNLV leads the MW in service aces (1.76/set) and is slotted fourth in hitting percentage (.214) while ranking sixth in kills (12.31/set), assists (11.85/set) and blocks (2.15/set). The Rebels are under the direction of second-year head coach Malia Shoji, who spent the previous eight seasons as an assistant at Utah, including her final five as associate head coach. With Shoji’s assistance, the Utes made six straight NCAA Tournament appearances, including two Sweet 16 berths and three consecutive third-place finishes in the Pac-12 Conference.

ON THE HORIZON
> Following this weekend matches, San Diego State will hit the road for a pair encounters with conference rivals Utah State (Oct. 23) and Boise State (Oct. 25).