Aztec Winning Streak Halted at Six in 3-2 Heartbreaker to Grand Canyon

SAN DIEGO – The San Diego State volleyball team saw its six-match winning streak snapped on Thursday after dropping a narrow 3-2 decision to visiting Grand Canyon (23-25, 25-16, 30-28, 15-25, 13-15) in a Mountain West showdown inside Aztec Court at Peterson Gym.

Despite double-digit kill totals from three players, the Aztecs could not equal the net prowess of the Lopes, who maintained a sizeable advantage in team blocks (21.0 to 8.0) and held a slight edge in aces (8-5) to key their victory.

SDSU (11-7, 6-1 MW) was also victimized by a furious GCU rally in the opening set and was unable to build on a two-point lead in the final frame en route to their first conference loss of the 2025 campaign. Conversely, the Lopes (11-7, 3-4 MW) won their third straight despite trailing in kills (63-62) and committing more unforced attack errors (24-8).

Taylor Underwood led the Scarlet and Black with 16 kills, surpassing double figures for the 14th straight match, while Madison Corf launched a season-high 14 non-returnables, followed by Amber Keen, who finished with 12 terminations of her own.

In addition, the Aztec cause was aided by Natalie Hughes, who contributed nine kills and three block assists, while Talea Mitchell finished with eight put-aways and a team-high five rejections, including one solo stop.

Not to be outdone, Zara Stewart anchored SDSU’s back row with a match-high 22 digs and served up three aces, while Bella Jones led all players with a career-best 28 assists, sharing the setting chores with Kendall Mairs, who dished out 25 helpers of her own and collected 14 digs for her second straight double-double and sixth of the season.

The Aztecs built a pair two-point leads in the fifth and final set, including a 7-5 spread after a kill by Keen and a GCU attack error. However, SDSU was unable to put the visitors away, as the scoreboard witnessed four subsequent ties, including a 10-10 deadlock after Corf’s termination.

Moments later, the Lopes vaulted in front for good with three straight points on an Aztecs service error, Natalie Guerrero’s ace and Macey Hughes’ kill.

Suddenly facing a 13-10 deficit, the Scarlet and Black crafted a 3-1 spurt on the strength of two Underwood kills, sandwiched around a Keen put-away, to trim the margin to 14-13. Following a timeout, GCU dashed the Aztecs’ comeback hopes with Anaelena Ramirez’s non-returnable, which abruptly ended the match.

Ramirez led all players with 18 kills and completed a double-double after finishing with 16 digs, while Bella Nunez duplicated the feat with 17 put-aways and 12 scoops of her own. In addition, Aubrey Bellus collected a match-high 14 blocks, including a pair of solo stops, while Aubrey Goodere came up with seven rejections, including a solo effort in the victory.

The Aztecs fashioned a seemingly comfortable 15-6 advantage in the opening set after an Underwood kill capped a 6-1 blitz. However, the Lopes fought back with a timely 12-3 surge to tie the score at 18-18. Ramirez sparked the run with two put-aways and a pair of joint blocks with Goodere and Bellus, while Taylor Kubacak served up an ace.

SDSU was poised to regain control after Corf and Keen combined on a block to punctuate a 5-0 outburst and propel the hosts into a 23-18 lead. Previously, Corf floored consecutive shots to ignite the run, while Keen and Hughes teamed on another block before GCU committed an attack error.

Hanging by a proverbial thread, the Lopes quickly reversed their fortune with a 7-0 blitz to steal the set in front of a stunned home crowd. Bellus joined forces with Sofia Osterdahl and Nunez on a pair of blocks, while Ramirez served up consecutive aces to knot the score at 23-23 following a timeout. However, the break did little to derail GCU’s momentum, as Nunez provided the clinching points with back-to-back kills.

Unfazed, the Aztecs battled through four ties and three early lead changes in the second stanza before scoring seven straight points to erase an 11-8 deficit and vault in front for good. Corf sparked the run with consecutive kills and later teamed on a block with Mitchell, who also combined with Hughes on a previous rejection.

The Lopes threw one last scare into the Scarlet and Black, narrowing the deficit to 16-14 on a Macey Hughes kill and an SDSU attack error. However, the Aztecs displayed a strong finishing kick with a 9-2 spurt down the stretch. Keen knocked down two late kills, while Stewart supplied the clinching point with an ace to tie the match on the set scoreboard.

GCU raced to a commanding 10-3 lead in the third frame on the strength of a Goodere kill. SDSU gradually whittled away at the deficit, twice pulling to within one, including a 20-19 spread after Corf knocked down a shot. The Lopes seemed poised to regain momentum after Ramirez followed with a non-returnable and Nunez teamed with Bellus on a block.

However, the Aztecs would not be denied, ultimately reaching set point on four occasions, including a 29-28 tally after GCU committed an attack error. Moments later, Corf blasted a kill to end the marathon affair and give the Scarlet and Black a 2-1 lead in sets.

SDSU posted its best attack percentage of the match, launching 20 kills on 41 attempts with just five errors for a .341 efficiency in the frame. Corf contributed seven kills in that span, while Underwood added five put-aways, followed by Mitchell’s four.

The Aztecs were unable to capitalize on their good fortune in the fourth set when the Lopes broke open a tight 11-10 score with an emphatic 14-5 closing run. Bellus highlighted the outburst with three blocks, including combined efforts with Osterdahl and Nunez, while Ramirez floored two shots and served up an ace. Nunez and Goodere also contributed late kills, setting the stage for the dramatic finish in the fifth frame.

San Diego State will have little time dwell on its defeat as the Scarlet and Black hits the road to face UNLV in a rematch on Saturday, Oct. 18, at 1 p.m. PT. The Aztecs swept the Rebels in San Diego on Oct. 11 before UNLV prevailed in a five-set thriller over New Mexico at home on Thursday night.