Aztecs Toppled at New Mexico in Four Sets

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – San Diego State’s Taylor Underwood tied her season high with 22 kills on Saturday, but it wasn’t enough, as the Aztecs dropped a four-set decision to New Mexico (25-22, 23-25, 23-25, 16-25) in a Mountain West match at Johnson Center.

SDSU enjoyed a hot start, posting a .403 efficiency over the first two sets but hit just .056 over the final two frames to drop to 13-12 on the season and 8-6 in conference play.

Despite owning the statistical advantage in kills (61-52), the Aztecs were out-hit (.241 to .210), committing nine more unforced attack errors (16-7), while suffering 10 service errors.

Conversely, the Lobos (11-14, 3-11 MW) maintained a slight edge in team blocks (11.0 to 10.0) and service aces (8-6) to forge a split in the season series between the two squads.

Underwood surpassed the 20-kill plateau for the third time this year to lead all players, logging a season-best .419 hitting percentage with just four errors in 43 attempts, while Talea Mitchell and Madison Corf finished with nine put-aways each.

Corf just missed a double-double after collecting a team-high 16 digs, while Campbell Hague (.412) flashed her versatility with eight kills, two service aces and a collegiate-best seven blocks, including a solo effort.

The Aztec charge was also bolstered by Kendall Mairs, who notched her third straight double-double and 11th of the season after dishing out 25 assists and scooping up 11 digs, splitting time at setter with Bella Jones, who handed out 19 helpers of her own.

SDSU led for the majority of the opening set, posting a .353 efficiency in the frame with 16 kills in 34 attempts against four errors. The Scarlet and Black displayed its trademark balance, as four players blasted at least three kills, including four by Mitchell, followed by Corf, Underwood and Hague with three each.

The Aztecs fashioned a trio of five-point leads, including a 16-11 spread after a Mitchell termination. UNM remained in contention, trimming the deficit to one on two occasions, including a 20-19 margin following an SDSU attack error.

However, the Aztecs closed with a 5-3 spurt to keep the hosts at bay. After combining with Hague on a block, Underwood launched two late kills, including one for the clinching point.

The second stanza witnessed a wide-open affair, as the teams combined for 37 kills. SDSU recorded its highest hitting percentage of the match with a .447 clip, blasting 19 kills against two errors in 38 attempts. Mitchell once again led the Scarlet and Black attack with four put-aways in the set, while Underwood, Hague and Corf floored three shots apiece.

Despite such productivity, the Aztecs found themselves in pursuit mode for most of the frame, facing a trio of five-point deficits, including a 19-14 spread following a kill by UNM’s Zoe Leonard. SDSU battled back to tie the score on three occasions, including a 23-23 deadlock after Hughes launched a non-returnable.

However, the Lobos escaped, thanks to an Aztec service error, while Addison France knocked down a kill for the clinching point shortly thereafter.

The Aztecs sought to flip the script in the third frame after crafting a pair of four-point leads, including an 11-7 bulge following a Hague kill. However, UNM responded with a timely 13-5 run to vault in front for good.  Uliana Yastrub keyed the outburst with three kills, while Leonard joined forces with Miller on a pair of blocks. SDSU also shot itself in the proverbial foot with three attack errors and a wayward serve in that stretch.

Suddenly on the wrong side of a 20-16 score, the Aztecs fashioned a late rally to narrow the gap to one at 24-23, as Hague combined with Underwood on a block before smashing two kills, while Schabort followed with another put-away to highlight a 7-4 spurt. Coming out of a timeout, the Lobos abruptly vanquished SDSU’s comeback hopes with a quick kill by France.

Despite maintaining a 16-13 advantage in the frame, the Aztecs trailed in team blocks (5.0 to 3.0) and aces (2-1), allowing UNM to grab a 2-1 lead on the set scoreboard.

Facing an identical position as Thursday night at Grand Canyon where it rallied for a 3-2 triumph, SDSU looked to duplicate the same magic, but those plans were sandbagged by a minus-.061 hitting percentage in the fourth set, as the Scarlet and Black was unable to offset 12 attack errors, along with three additional errant serve in that span.

Trailing 15-11, the Aztecs reeled off four straight points on kill by Underwood, a Mitchell solo block, a Schabort put-away and a service ace by Jones. However, the visitors were unable to seize the upper hand, as UNM answered with a timely 10-1 blitz to secure the match. Reagan Miller helped spark the run with two blocks, including a solo stop, while France provided two late kills, including the clincher.

Lauren Payne led the Lobos with 15 kills, while France added 13 put-aways of her own. In addition, the hosts received a match-high 40 assists from Madeleine Miller, while Camila Canedo led all players with 24 digs in the win.

With the setback, San Diego State finds itself in a three-way tie for fourth place in the conference race alongside Boise State (16-9, 8-6 MW) and Grand Canyon (16-9, 8-6 MW), one match behind third-place Wyoming (13-12, 9-5 MW), as the top six teams in the league standings qualify for the Mountain West Championship, Nov. 26-29, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The Aztecs open a four-match homestand on Thursday, Nov. 13 against second-place Colorado State (16-8, 10-4 MW), starting at 6 p.m. PT, before battling Wyoming on Saturday, Nov. 15 at noon. The Cowgirls were swept at first-place Utah State (17-7, 14-0 MW) earlier this afternoon.