Aztecs Run Out of Steam Late, Fall at Utah State in Five Sets

LOGAN, Utah – The San Diego State volleyball team gave first-place Utah State all it could handle but fell just short in a grueling five-set defeat (16-25, 25-19, 21-25, 26-24, 8-15) on Thursday in a Mountain West showdown at Wayne Estes Center.

With the loss, the Aztecs (11-9, 6-3 MW) dropped their third consecutive match, slipping into a three-way tie for third place in the conference standings with Wyoming and Boise State.

On the flip side, the Aggies (11-7, 9-0 MW) won their 10th straight to maintain a two-match lead over second-place Colorado State in the MW race.

Collectively, Utah State owned the statistical advantage in kills (55-51), team blocks (14.0 to 10.0) and service aces (9-6) to help key its victory. In addition, the Aggies committed five fewer unforced attack errors (20-15) to defeat the Scarlet and Black for the eighth consecutive meeting.

SDSU was paced by Madison Corf’s 14 kills, while Natalie Hughes launched 11 put-aways of her own, followed by Ella Schabort and Taylor Underwood, who floored eight shots apiece.

Aztec fortunes were also bolstered by Campbell Hague’s five block assists, while Hughes and Talea Mitchell each totaled four rejections, including one solo stop apiece.

Elsewhere, Zara Stewart surpassed the 20-dig plateau in digs for the fourth time this season after collecting 21 scoops, while Kendall Mairs dished out 20 assists, sharing the setting responsibilities with Bella Jones, who finished with 16 helpers of her own.

However, SDSU was unable to contain the exploits of USU’s Loryn Helgesen, who led all players with 23 kills and hit .444 for the night, committing just three errors in 45 attempts while adding six block assists. In addition, Ava Martin posted a match-high 10 blocks, including one solo effort.

Trailing 2-1 in sets, the Aztecs found themselves on the wrong side of a 22-18 score late in the fourth frame, as Utah State sought to close out the match. However, the Scarlet and Black flashed its trademark resiliency with four straight points to forge a 22-22 tie. SDSU benefited from an Aggie service error, while Hague joined forces on a block with Mila Gehlen before Corf and Hughes followed with kills.

USU answered with a Mara Štiglic put-away, while Jagoda Bialek served up an ace to put the hosts at match point. However, the Aggies self-destructed with three straight attack errors by Štiglic, while Corf blasted a kill moments later, allowing the Scarlet and Black to escape by a 26-24 count and extend the contest.

Unfortunately, the Aztecs were stuck in pursuit mode for much of the fifth set, as Utah State built a trio of early three-point leads, including a 6-3 spread following a Helgesen kill. SDSU responded with a three-point outburst, featuring two joint blocks by Hughes and Mitchell to tie the score at 6-6.

However, the Aztecs never seized the upper hand, as the Aggies vaulted in front for good on an SDSU service error and a combined block by Martin and Kaylie Kofe.

Corf knocked down a kill shortly thereafter, trimming the margin to 9-7, but USU closed with a timely 6-1 run to secure the victory. The Aggies benefited from a bad Aztec set and two attack errors down the stretch after Helgesen teamed with Martin on a block and launched a kill.

SDSU nursed a trio of one-point leads early in the opening set, including a 3-2 margin, before a strong 11-2 blitz gave the host school a commanding 13-5 advantage it would not relinquish. The Aztecs imploded in that span, committing four attack errors and a bad set, while Helgesen terminated three shots and Kendel Thompson served up an ace.

The Aggies out-hit the Scarlet and Black .393 to .080 in the frame, with Helgesen supplying six of their 14 kills. SDSU countered with five put-aways by Hughes, but it wasn’t enough, as the visitors were unable to draw closer than seven points in the second half of the set.

USU seemed poised to pull away in the second stanza after building a 9-5 bulge on the heels of an Aztec attack error. SDSU fought valiantly to remain in contention thanks to a Corf kill and a Mairs service aces. However, the Aggies still found themselves in the proverbial driver’s seat at 13-10 following a Lauren Larkin kill and a Kofe ace.

Undaunted, the Aztecs seized the momentum with a timely 8-0 outburst to take the lead for good. Underwood blasted three kills in that stretch, while Corf put away two shots and served up an ace. USU twice cut the deficit to four, including a 23-19 spread following a Martin solo block. After a timeout, however, the Aggies committed a service error, while Corf followed with the clinching kill to secure the set and even the match.

Corf finished with five kills and hit .429 in the frame, committing just two miscues in seven attempts, while Mitchell and Hughes each contributed a solo block. Collectively, the SDSU limited the hosts to a minus-.059 efficiency in the frame, as USU managed just six kills against eight errors in 34 attempts.

The Aztecs were primed to break open the third set after crafting a series of five-point leads, including a 21-16 margin following a late Hughes kill. However, the Aggies caught proverbial lightning in a bottle with a 9-0 closing run to escape. Helgesen and Martin joined forces on three blocks down the stretch, with each player also providing a kill, while Štiglic twirled two aces, including one for the clinching point.

USU overcame a 16-10 deficit in the fourth stanza, unleashing a 12-2 flurry to grab a 22-18 lead before the Aztecs pulled off some late-set magic to extend the match.

Along with Helgesen’s production, the Aggies received nine kills and three block assists from Štiglic, while Thompson finished with 15 digs in the win.

San Diego State wraps up its weekend road trip on Saturday, Oct. 25, when it travels to Boise State for a Mountain West showdown, starting at noon MT/11 a.m. PT. The Aztecs-Broncos clash will air live on the MW Network. Boise State was a five-set winner over UNLV at home on Thursday night.