Aztecs Welcome New Mexico, UNLV to Open Homestand

SAN DIEGO -- After facing four straight opponents on the road to open its Mountain West schedule, San Diego State returns to the friendly confines of Peterson Gym for a three-match homestand, starting this week when it battles New Mexico and UNLV.

> The Aztecs will face the Lobos on Thursday, Oct. 9, beginning at 6 p.m. PT, before battling the Rebels on Saturday, Oct. 11, 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.
> Thursday’s SDSU-UNM encounter has been designated as the Aztec volleyball program’s Mental Health Awareness match and fans are encouraged to wear green for the occasion, while Saturday’s contest will feature a Pick Your Own Giveaway promotion, where the first 250 spectators can choose from a variety of free items, including socks, scrunchies, key chains and more.
> After wrapping up their homestand with a clash against Grand Canyon on Thursday, Oct. 16, San Diego State will travel to Las Vegas for a rematch with UNLV on Saturday, Oct. 18. In addition, the Aztecs will journey to Albuquerque for a return engagement with New Mexico on Saturday, Nov. 8.

QUICK HITS
> San Diego State remains in a three-way tie for first place in the Mountain West standings after posting a four-set victory at Air Force on Oct. 2 (25-17, 21-25, 27-25, 25-16) followed by a three-set sweep at Nevada two days later (25-20, 25-18, 25-22). 
> With the decisions, the Aztecs share the top perch in the conference along with Utah State and Wyoming.
> Senior opposite hitter Taylor Underwood led the Aztecs with 30 kills (4.29/set) for the week, extending her streak to 11 straight outings with 10 or more put-aways after finishing with double-digit kills against the Falcons (18) and Nevada (12).
> Not to be outdone, junior middle blocker Amber Keen displayed her versatility with 22 kills (3.14/set) and a .452 hitting percentage for the week while contributing 12 blocks, highlighted by eight block assists at Air Force.
> Elsewhere, freshman libero Zara Stewart paced the Scarlet and Black with 31digs (4.43 digs/set) in the two matches, helping SDSU limit the opposition to a combined .171 hitting percentage for the week. 
> Entering the week, Underwood ranks second in the MW with 3.58 kills per set, while Keen is slotted third with a .363 hitting percentage and 10th with 1.09 blocks per set. In addition, Stewart occupies the sixth spot in digs (3.63/set).

SERIES RECORD VS. NEW MEXICO
> San Diego State leads the all-time series 45-27 dating back to 1976.
> The Aztecs sport a 25-9 record against the Lobos in San Diego, a 15-18 mark in Albuquerque and a 5-0 ledger on a neutral court. 
> The teams split two encounters in 2024, with each side winning on its home floor. SDSU snapped a six-match losing streak to UNM last year with a 3-0 sweep at Peterson Gym in the penultimate contest of the regular season (25-17, 25-18, 25-17).
> Among returners, Taylor Underwood launched 10 kills, while Talea Mitchell totaled eight put-aways of her own to go with four blocks, including a pair of solo stops. 
> The Aztecs posted their fourth-highest hitting percentage of the year with a .340 clip, maintaining a sizable advantage in kills (46-28), team blocks and service aces (9-2) to spark their victory.

SERIES RECORD VS. UNLV
> San Diego State owns a slight 30-29 edge in the all-time series since the two programs first met in 1985.
> The Aztecs recorded a 3-1 triumph at Peterson Gym in the lone meeting with the Rebels last season to snap a four-match slide against their conference rivals (25-19, 25-19, 23-25, 25-19).
> SDSU set a season-high with 17.0 team blocks in that contest while maintaining the upper hand in kills (53-42) and digs (64-60).
> Among returners, Taylor Underwood led all players with 16 kills, hitting .375 for the night after committing just four errors in 32 attempts, while Talea Mitchell also reached double figures in that statistic with 14 put-aways, as both players contributed a pair of block assists. In addition, Natalie Hughes set a season best with seven blocks, including one solo stop.

SDSU IN MW RANKINGS
> As of Oct. 8, opposite hitter Taylor Underwood occupies the second spot in the Mountain West with 3.58 kills per set, while middle blocker Amber Keen ranks third with a .363 hitting percentage and 10th with 1.09 blocks per set. In addition, libero Zara Stewart is slotted sixth the league with 3.63 digs per set, while Kendall Mairs has climbed into the 10th position with 5.18 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 fifth.
> Mairs served up five aces against LSU at the Flo Hyman Classic on Sept. 5, which is tied for the fourth-best total in the MW this season.
>  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.
> 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 eighth-best number in the conference.
> Entering the week, San Diego State is slotted fifth in the Mountain West in service aces (1.45/set) and opponent hitting percentage (.185) while tying for sixth in blocks (2.02/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 sixth-best clip in the MW thus far. In addition, SDSU dished out 55 assists in that contest, which is tied for the sixth-highest total in a four-set match among conference teams.

ODDS AND ENDS
> The Aztecs have held all 15 opponents under a .300 hitting percentage this year. SDSU is 6-2 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 5-0 this season when out-blocking the opposition and 7-1 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 4-2 in matches following a loss in 2025 and 5-3 in contests following a victory.
> Senior opposite hitter Taylor Underwood blasted 12 kills at Nevada on Oct. 4, extending her streak of double-digit kills to 11 straight matches. The Norco, California, native also ranks fourth on the squad with 26 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 14 of 15 matches this year, including a season-high 20 scoops at Air Force on Oct. 2.
> Amber Keen has recorded at least one block in 13 straight matches and 14 of 15 contests this season. The Reno, Nevada, native posted a career-high nine block assists at San José State on Sept. 27.

NO PLACE LIKE HOME
> Since the beginning of the 2009 campaign, Aztecs have amassed a 131-87 (.601) 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.
> With their victory over the Tritons, the Aztecs are 31-19 in home openers since the program’s inception in 1976.

SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
> New Mexico (8-7, 0-4 MW) has lost five straight after dropping a pair of home matches last week, falling to Colorado State in straight sets (23-25, 16-25, 20-25), followed by a narrow 3-1 defeat at the hands of Wyoming (25-19, 25-27, 25-27, 14-25). With their results, the Lobos dropped to 4-4 at home this season while maintaining a 4-3 record in road/neutral contests. Entering the week, freshman Addison France leads UNM with167 kills (2.88/set) followed by graduate transfer Giola Riccato, who has launched 131 put-aways of her own (2.82/set). In addition, sophomore transfer Solia Angilau tops the squad with 47 blocks (1.07/set), while redshirt freshman Zoe Leonard (1.45 kills/set) owns a team-best .295 hitting percentage among qualifiers. Not to be outdone,  junior libero Camila Canedo occupies the fourth spot in the MW in digs (3.97/set), while junior setter Madeleine Miller ranks second in service aces (0.41/set, 24 overall) and fourth in assists (8.75/set). Collectively, the Lobos are slotted third in the conference in both digs (14.98/set) and hitting percentage (.223), but rank just seventh in kills (12.37/set), eighth in service aces (1.36/set) and 10th in blocks (1.91/set). New Mexico is under the guidance of seventh-year head coach Jon Newman-Gonchar, who arrived on the Albuquerque campus after spending the previous three seasons at Arkansas as associate head coach. Newman-Gonchar has also had stints as an assistant coach at Iowa State (2013-15), Loyola Marymount (2010-12), as well as UC San Diego with both the men’s and women’s teams (2007-09).

> UNLV (8-6, 2-2 MW) split two road matches last week, posting a four-set triumph at Nevada (25-21, 12-25, 25-15, 25-22)  before suffering the opposite fate at Air Force two days later (25-20, 23-25, 21-25, 14-25). With their results, the Rebels move to 6-3 in road/neutral matches while maintaining a 2-3 record at home. Prior to Saturday’s clash at San Diego State, UNLV will play host to Grand Canyon on Thursday night. The Aztecs and Rebels will renew acquaintances in a rematch at Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas on Saturday, Oct. 18. Offensively, UNLV is led by redshirt sophomore Jaida Harris, a transfer from Long Beach State who leads the Mountain West in service aces (0.42/set, 22 overall) and ranks fifth in kills (3.38/set), while senior Alondra Alarcon (3.18/set) is slotted ninth as of Oct. 8. In addition, sophomore Rheanna Deen-Jackson is slotted sixth in the league with 1.27 blocks per set, while junior Caleigh King the eighth spot in digs (3.38/set). Elsewhere, freshman Kaia Thiele (5.17 assists/set), junior Agata Makowska (4.03/assists/set) and freshman Alexas Ankerstar (3.85 assists/set) have all seen action at the setter position this season, while freshman Brooklynn Williams tops the squad with a .333 hitting percentage. As a team, UNLV leads the MW in service aces (1.85/set) and is slotted fifth in hitting percentage (.213) while ranking sixth in kills (12.77/set), assists (11.79/set) and blocks (2.17/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’s action, San Diego State will split two matches, playing host to conference newcomer Grand Canyon on Thursday, Oct. 16, before renewing acquaintances with UNLV on Saturday, Oct. 18, in Las Vegas, Nevada.