Aztecs Prep for Home Rematches vs. Utah State, Boise State This Week

SAN DIEGO – The San Diego State volleyball team will play six of its final eight matches of the 2025 regular season at home, starting this week when it welcomes Utah State and Boise State to Aztec Court at Peterson Gym.

Facing the same two teams from the previous week, the Aztecs will battle the Aggies on Thursday, Oct. 30, beginning at 6 p.m. PT, followed by a clash with the Broncos on Saturday, Nov. 1, starting at noon.

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.

Plenty of promotions are on tap for Thursday’s encounter with USU, which has been designated the team’s Halloween Spooktacular match as well as Kids Club Day. Children with costumes will be admitted for free, with trick-or-treating, a face painter and a balloon artist highlighting pre-match activities. In addition, the first 250 fans in attendance will receive a free Halloween tote bag, while a costume contest for all patrons will be held between the second and third sets.

On Saturday against Boise State, free Aztec lanyards will be distributed to the first 250 spectators. Additionally, all fans who present their ticket to the SDSU-Wyoming football game at the door will be admitted free to the Aztecs-Broncos volleyball match.

Entering the week, San Diego State (12-9) is slotted third in the Mountain West with a 7-3 record in conference play, trailing second-place Colorado State (14-6, 8-2 MW) by one match, while Utah State (13-7, 10-0 MW) remains perched atop the league standings. In addition, Boise State (14-7, 6-4 MW) is tied fourth in the MW with Wyoming (10-11, 6-4 MW).

QUICK HITS
The Aztecs forged a split against the same two schools on the road last week, dropping a narrow 3-2 decision at USU (16-25, 25-19, 21-25, 26-24, 8-15) before rebounding with a four-set triumph at Boise State (25-14, 25-20, 20-25, 25-20), which snapped a three-match losing streak.

Taylor Underwood led the Scarlet and Black with 26 kills (2.89/set) for the week, while Ella Schabort launched 22 put-aways of her own (2.44/set).

In addition, freshman libero Zara Stewart continued her stellar play with 35 digs (3.89/set), while fellow classmate Kendall Mairs excelled in the setting department, dishing out 46 assists (5.11/set) and collected 25 digs (2.78/set).

SERIES RECORD VS. UTAH STATE
The Aztecs still lead the all-time series 18-15, including a 12-4 mark in San Diego and a 6-11 ledger in road/neutral matches.

SDSU will be looking to put the brakes on an eight-match slide against the Aggies after suffering a hard-fought defeat in five sets on Oct. 23 in Logan, Utah.

Individually, the Aztecs were led by Madison Corf’s 14 kills, while Natalie Hughes blasted 11 put-aways of her own, followed by Ella Schabort and Taylor Underwood, who floored eight shots apiece.

However, SDSU was unable to contain the exploits of USU’s Loryn Helgesen, who posted a match-high 23 kills and hit .444 for the night, committing just three errors in 45 swings while contributing six block assists.

In addition, the Aggies maintained the statistical advantage in kills (55-51), team blocks (14.0 to 10.0) and service aces (9-6) to help spark their victory.

After surviving a grueling battle in the fourth set to extend the match, the Aztecs were unable to build on that momentum in the final frame, as USU closed with a strong 6-1 run after SDSU earlier trimmed the margin to 9-7.

SERIES RECORD VS. BOISE STATE
After the Aztecs defeated the Broncos in Boise on Oct. 25, the all-time series between the two programs is tied at 13-13.

SDSU will be looking to put the brakes on an eight-match slide against the Aggies after suffering a hard-fought defeat in five sets on Oc. 23 in Logan, Utah.

After winning a neutral-site match at the 2005 Red Raider Roundup in Lubbock, Texas, the Aztecs are 6-5 vs. Boise State in San Diego and 6-8 at Bronco Gym.

In last Saturday’s win, SDSU received double-digit kills from four players and recorded their second-highest hitting percentage of the year with a .322 efficiency. Despite trailing in team blocks (10.0 to 9.0), the Aztecs owned the statistical advantage in most other categories, including kills (66-45), digs (64-49) and aces (5-3) to help key their victory.

For the 15th time this season, Taylor Underwood led the SDSU attack, knocking down a match-high 18 kills while tying her season high with four block assists. In addition, the Scarlet and Black received a career performance from Annelise Rising, who launched 16 put-aways off the bench and recorded a brilliant .682 efficiency after committing just one error in 22 swings.

Aztec fortunes were also buoyed by Ella Schabort, who registered a season-high 14 kills and hit .462, committing just two miscues in 26 attempts, while Talea Mitchell got into the act with 10 terminations and four block assists.

Not to be outdone, Kendall Mairs logged her eighth double-double of the year with 26 assists and a career-best 19 digs, both of which led all players, splitting the setter duties with Sarena Gonzalez, who handed out 24 helpers of her own.

NO PLACE LIKE HOME
Since the beginning of the 2009 campaign, Aztecs have amassed a 133-88 (.602) 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.

MATCH CONNECTIONS
San Diego State opposite hitter Natalie Hughes and Utah State libero Sadie Warren squared off in a non-conference high school tournament in Texas in 2022. During Hughes' senior season, McKinney North High recorded a two-set triumph over Wylie High, featuring Warren, who was a sophomore on that squad. Hughes finished with nine kills and three blocks, according to MaxPreps, while Warren contributed four digs and a pair of aces.

Aztec sophomore Talea Mitchell and Aggie junior Olivia Tukuafu played against each other as prep players in Arizona. During the 2021 campaign, Mitchell's Millenium High team (Goodyear) logged a 2-1 triumph over Tukuafu's Mountain View squad (Mesa) in a non-conference tournament. Tukuafu was entering her junior year, while Mitchell was beginning her sophomore campaign. According to MaxPreps, Mitchell racked up four kills and two digs in the win.

SDSU freshman Kendall Mairs and Boise State freshman Sydney Dreves also faced one another as high schools seniors in the state of Washington. Mairs' Camas High team posted a 3-2 road victory over Dreves' Columbia River High squad in a non-conference match on Sept. 23, 2024.

Utah State freshman Hailey Spencer and Boise State senior Kailyn Jager both prepped at San Diego County high schools. Spencer was a four-year varsity letterwinner at Del Norte High, while Jager, a transfer from UC Riverside, graduated from La Costa Canyon High before spending two seasons in the junior college level at MiraCosta College and San Diego Mesa College, respectively.

SDSU IN MW RANKINGS
As of Oct. 29, opposite hitter Taylor Underwood occupies the third spot in the Mountain West with 3.59 kills per set, while libero Zara Stewart is slotted fourth in the league with 3.80 digs per set. Despite missing the last two matches, middle blocker Amber Keen still finds herself among the conference leaders this week, ranking fifth with a .337 hitting percentage.

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 Rising’s collegiate-best .682 clip (16-1-22) at Boise State ranks seventh just ahead of Keen, who set a career high with a .650 hitting percentage (14-1-20) vs. Oregon at the Long Beach State Tourney on Sept. 11.

Not to be outdone, Corf’s .750 efficiency is tied for the second-highest individual hitting percentage in the country this season.

Stewart collected a career-high 26 digs vs. New Mexico on Oct. 9, which represents the second-highest total in the conference during a four-set match so far this year and is tied for third 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 10th-highest figure in the conference. Schabort later duplicated the feat at home against New Mexico on Oct. 11.

Underwood equaled her season best with 22 kills at UNLV on Oct. 18, which is tied for the 10th-best total in the league and is tied for the second-highest in a four-set match.

In a five-set triumph at San José State on Sept. 25, Keen and Natalie Hughes collected nine blocks apiece, which is tied for the 15th-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 is slotted second in the Mountain West with a .180 opponent hitting percentage in conference play and also occupies the third spot in that statistic for all matches (.187).

In addition, the Aztecs rank fifth in the conference in service aces (1.46/set) while occupying the seventh position in blocks (2.11/set).

Elsewhere, SDSU is slotted eighth in both kills (12.47/set) and assists (11.47/set) while ranking ninth digs (13.67/set).

The Aztecs’ 14 service aces against Omaha is tied for 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 eighth-best clip in the MW thus far.

SDSU's 50 kills at Nevada on Oct. 4 is tied for the sixth-highest total in the three-set match in the conference.

ODDS AND ENDS
The Aztecs have held 20 of 21 opponents under a .300 hitting percentage this year. SDSU allowed its first adversary to hit over .300 when UNLV posted a .314 efficiency on Oct. 18.

The Aztecs are 8-4 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 10-2 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 7-4 in matches following a victory in 2025 and 5-3 in contests following a loss.

Senior Taylor Underwood had her streak of double-digit kills snapped at 15 straight matches after posting eight terminations at Utah State. Still, the Aztec opposite hitter has 10 or more kills in 17 of 19 appearances this year after rebounding with a match-high 18 put-aways at Boise State. The Norco, California, native also ranks fourth on the squad with 43 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 19 of 21 matches this year, including a career-high 26 scoops vs. New Mexico on Oct. 9. She also led all players with 22 digs against Grand Canyon on Oct. 16.

ON THE HORIZON
San Diego State embarks on its final road trip of the regular season next week when it travels to Grand Canyon (Nov. 6) and New Mexico (Nov. 8).