Aztecs Set to Open 2026 Campaign with Three Matches in Pacific Northwest

SAN DIEGO -- The San Diego State volleyball team begins its highly anticipated 2026 season this weekend when it travels to the Pacific Northwest for a trio of non-conference matches at the Washington Tournament, Aug. 28-30, at Alaska Airlines Arena in Seattle, Washington.

The Aztecs commence tournament play on Friday when they square off against IU Indy, starting at 4 p.m. PT, followed by a Saturday showdown with the host Huskies at 7 p.m., before locking horns with UC Irvine in Sunday's finale at noon.

All three matches will feature live stats, while Saturday's skirmish against Washington will air live via subscription basis on Big Ten Network+.

San Diego State embarks on its inaugural season of volleyball competition as Pac-12 members, joining conference stalwarts Oregon State and Washington State, along with former Mountain West rivals Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State and Utah State, while Gonzaga and Texas State complete the revived circuit. 

OPENING SERVE
> San Diego State’s record stands at 25-25 in season openers since the program achieved varsity status in 1976. The Washington Tournament represents the Aztecs’ seventh season-opening event on the road in the last 12 years, following the 2015 USF Invitational in San Francisco, Calif., the 2019 FGCU Homewood Suites Classic in Fort Myers, Fla., the 2021 Sam Houston Bearkat Invitational in Huntsville, Texas, the 2023 Rose City Showdown in Portland, Ore., the 2024 Bengal Classic in Pocatello, Idaho, and the 2025 Cal Tournament in Berkeley, Calif.
> Additionally, the Scarlet and Black opened an abbreviated 2021spring slate with a pair of matches at former conference rival UNLV after the 2020 fall schedule was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
> SDSU gave host California all it could handle in the 2025 season opener before dropping a tough four-set decision (21-25, 28-26, 12-25, 22-25).
> The teams combined for 23 ties and 13 lead changes in a see-saw affair. However, the Golden Bears overcame an 18-14 deficit in the fourth set with an 11-4 closing run to secure the win and thwart the Aztecs’ efforts to force a fifth and deciding frame.
> Among returners, Ella Schabort (13 kills), Kendall Mairs (25 assists) and Zara Stewart (17 digs) all made their debuts for San Diego State in that match vs. Cal.

SERIES RECORDS
> San Diego State will battle IU Indy for the first time when they two sides lock horns on Friday.
> The Aztecs have faced just two other schools currently affiliated with the Horizon League in program history. SDSU captured both meetings against Cleveland State, posting a four-set victory at Peterson Gym in 1984 before duplicating the feat at the Vikings' home tournament in 2005. In addition, the Scarlet and Black prevailed by a 3-1 count over Northern Illinois at the 2007 Islander Invitational in Corpus Christi, Texas.
> Saturday's showdown will mark the Aztecs' ninth all-time engagement against Washington and first since 2009 when the fourth-ranked Huskies claimed a three-set decision at their own tournament. Despite the setback, SDSU still maintains a 5-3 edge in the all-time series. 
> The Aztecs own a 17-9 advantage vs. UC Irvine, but the two sides have not met since the 2016 campaign when the Anteaters outlasted the Scarlet and Black in a five-set thriller in San Diego.
> San Diego State enters the weekend with a 160-73 record against current members of the Big West Conference.
> The Aztecs were 2-1 against Big West foes last season, defeating UC Riverside (3-0) and UC San Diego (3-1), sandwiched around a four-set loss at Long Beach State.

MATCH CONNECTIONS
> San Diego State freshman outside hitter Layla Austin and her Washington counterpart Kylie Kleckner squared off annually for their respective powerhouse prep teams in Texas. Competing for Byron Nelson High in Trophy Club, Texas, Kleckner's squad defeated Austin's Southlake Carroll team in their last five meetings, posting a 6-4 overall mark since 2022. Austin posted double-doubles (16 kills, 16 digs; 17 kills, 14 digs) in two matches against Byron Nelson High as a senior but it wasn't enough to prevent a season sweep.
> Aztec freshman setter Stephanie Gonzalez and UC Irvine sophomore middle blocker Abby Pekrul both hail from Temecula, California, but did not face one another as prep volleyball players. Gonzalez graduated from Temecula Valley High, while Pekrul attended Temecula Preparatory School. 
> UC Irvine junior outside hitter Madison Triplett is a graduate of El Capitan High School in nearby Lakeside in San Diego County, California.

WELCOME BACK
> Along with Zara Stewart, Kendall Mairs and Ella Schabort, who were named to the preseason Pac-12 Impact List on Aug. 25, the Aztecs return four additional letterwinners this season in Annelise Rising, Mila Gehlen, Rylie Sengdara and Gianna Bender.
> An outside hitter who transferred from Colorado in 2025, Rising appeared in 25 matches with three starts as a redshirt sophomore last season, racking up 66 kills (1.14/set), 23 digs, 12 blocks, two service aces and one assist in 58 sets.
> In a four-set triumph at Boise State, Rising enjoyed a superlative performance when she came off the bench to blast a collegiate-best 16 kills against one error in 22 attempts, finishing with a sparkling .682 hitting percentage, which marked the eighth-best efficiency in the Mountain West during the season.
> A local product from nearby Scripps Ranch High School, Gehlen showed flashes for the Aztecs during her freshman campaign in 2025, totaling  91 kills (1.38/set), 34 digs (0.52/set) and 23 blocks (0.35/set) in 66 sets across 26 matches.
> An opposite hitter, Gehlen launched five or more kills in 11 matches and posted multiple blocks on six occasions, recording season highs of 12 kills against San José State and five block assists vs. UC Riverside.
> Also returning to provide veteran depth along the back row are defensive specialists Sengdara and Bender, who will both compete for increased playing time this season after seeing limited action as sophomores for the Scarlet and Black in 2025.
> Sengdara played in seven sets across four matches after transferring from Cal State Fullerton last year, while Bender appear in five sets across three matches.

CARY NAMED GATORADE PLAYER OF THE YEAR IN COLORADO
> San Diego State incoming freshman Logan Cary was named 2025-26 Gatorade Player of the Year for the state of Colorado on Friday, Jan. 9.
> As a senior at Rock Canyon High School in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, Cary garnered first-team all-state accolades after propelling her team to a third-place finish at the 2025 CHSAA Class 5A Championships in November.
> In her final prep season, Cary compiled 468 assists and 289 kills in 101 sets across 28 matches to go with a team-high 49 service aces, splitting time as a setter and right-side hitter. She also flashed her versatility by contributing 245 digs and 64 blocks, according to MaxPreps, as the Jaguars finished with a 24-4 record.
> In addition, Cary competed for Front Range Volleyball Club in Englewood, Colorado, helping her squad to a 13th-place finish in the 17s USA Division at the USA Volleyball Girls Junior National Championship in the summer of 2025.
> Cary, who was listed as the No. 2 recruit for her high school graduating class in Colorado by PrepDig, was also selected to play in the Colorado Sports All-State Games later this year.
> Not to be outdone, Cary excelled in the classroom as well, earning multiple academic honors throughout high school.

NEW KIDS IN TOWN
> The prospects for the San Diego State volleyball program continue to improve after head coach Brent Hilliard retooled the Aztec roster with a stellar class of 10 newcomers for the 2026 campaign.
> SDSU added five Division I players through the NCAA transfer portal in Haylee Brown (Nevada), Tessa Schouten (Saint Mary's), Nazare Judd (San José  State), Taelyn Bentley (South Florida) and Annabelle De Jager (Ole Miss). 
> Not to be outdone, the Aztecs also signed five talented prep stars in the aforementioned Logan Cary (Highlands Ranch, Colo.), as well as Layla Austin (Southlake, Texas), Lauranta Iyalekhue (Yonkers N.Y.), Chelsea Cocks (Sydney, Australia) and Stephanie Gonzalez (Temecula, Calif.).
> A native of Maricopa, Arizona, Brown received all-Mountain West honorable mention in her lone season with the Wolf Pack in 2025 after playing her first two collegiate seasons at George Washington.
> Brown started 19 of 28 matches at Nevada last year, ranking fourth in the conference with 3.55 kills per set for all matches  (355 overall). Additionally, she surpassed the double-digit kill plateau in 21 matches and posted multiple blocks on 11 occasions.
> A middle blocker who graduated from Davis (Calif.) Senior High, Schouten brings solid credentials with her to The Mesa from Saint Mary's College, where she started all 55 matches she played in her first two seasons.
> During her stay with the Gaels, Schouten compiled 259 kills (1.23/set), 191 blocks (0.90/set) and 71 digs (0.49/set) to go with 18 service aces. She also hit .281 in 211 sets played while posting five or more blocks on 14 occasions.
> As a sophomore in 2025, Schouten ranked among the West Coast Conference leaders in several blocking categories, including block solos (5th, 23), block assists (6th, 87), total blocks (6th, 110) and blocks per set (10th, 0.96). She also finished fourth on the squad with 152 kills (1.32/set) and occupied the sixth spot with 18 service aces.
> A San Diego native, Nazare Judd joined  the Aztecs after completing her freshman season at San José State, where she played in all 29 matches as a defensive specialist, finishing fourth on the team with 207 digs (1.85/set) and eclipsed the double-digit dig plateau on seven occasions.
> Judd, who graduated from nearby Point Loma High School, was also slotted second on the Spartans with 21 service aces in 2025 while ranking fifth with 35 setting assists (0.31/set).
> A middle blocker from Corvallis, Oregon, who played for South Florida as a freshman, Taelyn Bentley  appeared in 18 matches with 12 starts during her rookie campaign in 2025, posting 68 kills (1.36/set) and 42 blocks (0.84/set), including 12 solo rejections.
> In addition, Bentley, finished with multiple blocks in nine matches and knocked down five or more kills on six occasions while committing just 11 attack errors in 134 attempts for a .425 hitting percentage.
> Meanwhile, De Jager sat out as a redshirt at Ole Miss in 2025 after graduating from Eaton High School in Eaton, Colorado.
> A prep standout, De Jager helped Eaton High capture four regional titles to go with three final four appearances at the CHSAA state championships, earning first-team all-state and all-conference honors over her final two seasons.
> During her high school career, De Jager amassed 1,081 kills (3.16/set), 843 digs (2.46/set), 168 service aces (0.49/set) and 90 blocks during her prep career, according to MaxPreps.
> Like Cary, Layla Austin arrives in "America's Finest City" as a heavily decorated prep player after starring at Carroll High School in Southlake, Texas, where she where she received All-America recognition from MaxPreps (first team), PrepVolleyball.com (second team) and the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) (honorable mention) following her senior season in 2025.
> Not to be outdone, Austin also earned a spot on the Texas High School Coaches Association (THSCA) 6A Super Elite Team and garnered first-team 6A all-state accolades from the Texas Sports Writers Association after helping the Dragons capture the 6A Division II state championship with a 35-5 overall record.
> As a senior, Austin led Carroll High with 514 kills (4.1/set) and 506 digs (4.0/set), according to MaxPreps, while ranking fourth with 30 service aces and 19 blocks. She also finished with a career-best .273 hitting percentage that season.
> A middle blocker, Lauranta Iyalekhue was a prep star at Yonkers (N.Y.) High School, where she earned all-Section 1 honors all four years. She was also a four-year competitor with the Legacy Volleyball Club in the Bronx, N.Y., where she competed at middle blocker and right-side hitter while serving as a team captain.
> A native of Sydney, Australia, Chelsea Cocks brings a wealth of international experience with her to The Mesa after a two-year stint in 2025 and 2026 with the Volleyroos, the senior national Australian team, where she was a teammate of fellow Aztec Ella Schabort.
> In addition, Cocks was voted the middle blocker in the U18 group at the 2024 Princess Cup in Thailand and helped three different club teams to top-three finishes in Australia's Premier State League.
> The younger sister of former Aztec setter Sarena Gonzalez (2022-25), Stephanie Gonzalez follows in her family's footsteps to San Diego State after a standout prep career at Temecula Valley High School, where she garnered all-Southwestern League accolades on three occasions at setter.
> Gonzalez amassed over 1,000 assists in high school and also brings a winning pedigree with here to The Mesa after helping Temecula Valley High to consecutive conference titles, two Division I Elite Eight appearances and a pair of state playoff berths during her junior and senior campaigns.

SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
> IU Indy finished with an 18-14 overall record in 2025 and tied for third in the Horizon League with an 11-7 mark in conference play. In addition, the Jaguars defeated Milwaukee in the first round of the Horizon League Tournament before falling to Northern Kentucky in the semifinals. IU Indy returns a trio of all-conference performers from a year ago in senior Grace Purichia and sophomores Laura Roeder and Jillian Tippmann. The reigning Horizon League Setter of the Year, Purichia also received AVCA all-region honorable mention after ranking sixth in the nation with a conference-best 11.03 assists per set during her junior season. Additionally, Purichia surpassed the 40-assist plateau in 19 matches, including a career-high 61 helpers in a five-set thriller over Robert Morris. Elsewhere, Roeder earned first-team honors and landed on the conference's all-freshman team after ranking fifth in the Horizon League with 4.59 digs per set (560 overall) at the libero position, while Tippmann garnered  second-team accolades as an opposite hitter after leading all team qualifiers with 3.62 kills per set and a .272 hitting percentage, which ranked fifth and ninth in the conference, respectively. As a team, the Jaguars led the Horizon League in kills (13.80/set) and assists (12.89/set) last season while occupying the second spot in hitting percentage (.239) and third position in service aces (1.49). IU Indy is under the direction of fourth-year head coach Andrew Kroger, who previously served as head coach at La Salle (2019-20) and interim head coach at North Alabama (2021) before spending one season as an assistant at Ohio (2022). His career record stands at 71-88.

> Washington compiled a 13-17 overall record last season, finishing in a three-way tie for 10th in the Big Ten with an 8-12 mark against conference opponents. Sophomore Simona Mateska, who received AVCA all-region honorable mention in 2025, is the Huskies' top returning offensive threat after leading all UW outside hitters with a .257 hitting percentage to go with a team-high 30 service aces. The Serbian national also ranked second on the squad with 2.96 kills per set and was slotted third with 326 total kills and 239 digs overall. Also back in the mix is senior middle blocker Katy Wessels, who ranked second in the Big Ten last season with 152 total blocks and third with 1.35 blocks per set. In addition, UW welcomes sophomore setter Andrea Fabikovicová, a transfer from San Francisco who led the Dons with 533 assists and 6.83 assists per set in 2025. Collectively, the Huskies ranked near the middle of the pack in the Big Ten in several statistical categories last season, including  digs (8th, 12.97/set), blocks (9th, 2.40/set), service aces (9th, 168) and hitting percentage (12th, 2.32). However, Washington was slotted just 15th in the league in assists (11.67) and 16th in kills (12.49/set). The Huskies are under the guidance of head coach Leslie Gabriel, a Washington alumna, who served as an assistant with the program from 2001-22, helping UW reach five Final Fours in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2013 and 2020. Her career record stands at 48-44.

> UC Irvine tied for sixth in the Big West preseason coaches poll after earning the No. 6 seed at the conference tournament with an 8-10 record  in league play last year and finishing with a 13-18 record overall. Setter/opposite hitter Nicole Feliciano is one of the Anteaters' most experienced returners, ranking seventh in he Big West in assists (7.66/set) and 14th in digs (2.51/set). The 2023 Big West Freshman of the Year, Feliciano recorded 14 double-doubles during her junior campaign in 2025 and dished out a career-high 60 assists in a narrow five-set loss at CSUN. UCI will look to another setter/opposite hitter for increased production this season after former prep star Jessica Bates was limited to just seven matches due to injury in 2025. Bates averaged  2.79 kills, 2.88 assists and 2.33 digs in 24 sets, highlighted by triple-doubles against Montana State (13 kills, 11 assists, 10 digs) and Belmont (19 kills, 14 assists, 12 digs). The Anteaters must replace their libero and two starting middle blockers from last year's squad that ranked second in the Big West in digs (15.14/set) and blocks (2.37/set). UCI will also seek greater consistency on offense after finishing seventh in the conference in hitting percentage (.181) and eighth in kills (11.80/set). Along the sidelines, the Anteaters are led by 12th-year head coach Ashlie Hain, who played collegiately at UCI from 2001-04 and is still the program's career leader with 5,698 assists. Her record with the Anteaters stands at 148-151.

HEAD COACH BRENT HILLIARD
Now in his seventh year on The Mesa, head coach Brent Hilliard and the San Diego State volleyball program begin a new chapter this fall when the Aztecs embark on their inaugural season in the Pac-12 Conference.

In its final Mountain West campaign, Hilliard directed SDSU to its second straight conference tournament appearance and third in the last four years when the Aztecs secured the No. 6 seed at the 2025 MW Championship.

Facing third-seeded Wyoming in the opening round, SDSU recorded a statement win with a 3-0 upset of the Cowgirls before falling to No. 2 seed Colorado State in a tight four-set battle in the semifinals.

Under Hilliard’s tutelage, opposite hitter Taylor Underwood garnered first-team all-Mountain West accolades for the third year in row after leading the Scarlet and Black with 3.47 kills per set, which ranked seventh in the league.

With her 364 overall kills, Underwood surpassed the 1,000-kill plateau in an SDSU uniform after transferring from DePaul in 2023 and became the first Aztec player to record 300 put-aways in three straight seasons since Deja Harris (2016-18).

Not to be outdone, Hilliard oversaw the development of freshman libero Zara Stewart, a prized recruit who earned first-team all-MW honors after ranking fifth in the conference with 3.70 digs per set (455 overall).

Scholastic achievement has been a trademark for the Aztec volleyball program, and the 2025 campaign was no different, as 11 players earned spots on the Mountain West all-academic team following the fall semester, including Underwood and Campbell Hague, who also landed on the College Sports Communicators academic all-district team. 

ON THE HORIZON
> Following their Seattle excursion, the Aztecs continue their road swing next weekend when they battle UC Davis and Cal Poly on consecutive days, Sept. 3-4, at University Credit Union Center in Davis, California.