Aztecs to Host Arizona in Home Opener, Visit USD in Non-Conference Finale

SAN DIEGO -- After a lengthy road swing, the San Diego State volleyball team will wrap up its 2026 non-conference schedule with a pair of matches in "America's Finest City" this weekend, playing host to Arizona in its home opener on Friday, Sept. 18, before heading across town the following night to battle the University of San Diego on Saturday, Sept. 19.

Friday's clash with the Wildcats at Peterson Gym is scheduled for a 6 p.m. start, while Saturday's showdown against the Toreros in Jenny Craig Pavilion slated to begin at 7 p.m.

Both matches will feature live stats and a live broadcast. Friday's contest will be shown on the Pac-12 YouTube Channel, as well as Pac-12 Insider, while Saturday's engagement will air live via subscription basis on ESPN+. Links to all three platforms will be available on GoAztecs.com.

For Friday's home opener vs. Arizona, the first 250 fans in attendance will receive a free SDSU hat.

San Diego State has commenced 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 is coming off a 2-1 showing at the Santa Clara Mission Classic last weekend, bookending a tough five-set loss to California (21-25, 20-25, 25-23, 26-24, 13-15) around a 3-0 whitewash of host Santa Clara (25-15, 25-15, 25-22) and a four-set triumph over Cal State Bakersfield (25-17, 20-25, 25-14, 25-19).
> Against the Broncos in their tournament opener, the Aztecs recorded a .407 team hitting percentage, marking their highest efficiency since posting a .410 clip against San Diego on Oct. 2, 2018.
> Individually, SDSU earned two conference awards on Sept. 15, as Ella Schabort earned Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week honors, while Kendall Mairs was named the league's Setter of the Week. 
> Schabort led the Pac-12 with averages of 4.75 points and 4.25 kills in 12 sets across three matches, totaling 51 kills, 20 digs, four service aces and four blocks while hitting at a .500 clip for the weekend.
> Meanwhile, Mairs topped the conference with 118 assists and ranked second with 9.83 assists per set, finishing with a team-high five service aces while ranking third on the squad with 30 digs (2.50/sets).

SERIES RECORDS
> Despite dropping five straight matches in the series, SDSU still owns a 21-12 all-time record against Arizona dating back to 1978.
> The Aztecs are 12-6 vs. the Wildcats in San Diego, 7-4 in Tucson and 2-2 on a neutral court.
> The teams last met at Peterson Gym in 2022 when Arizona claimed a three-set decision. 
> The Aztecs’ last victory over the Wildcats occurred on the road in 2003, as the Scarlet and Black registered a 3-1 triumph (31-33, 30-24, 30-23, 30-27) during the 30-point scoring era.
> San Diego State battled USD in Peterson Gym last season, as a spirited comeback fell short in a 3-2 loss (16-25, 25-27, 25-16, 25-20, 9-15).
> Despite maintaining a 61-54 advantage in kills, the Aztecs were out-hit for the match .229 to .196, while the Toreros held a 14.0 to 9.0 advantage in team blocks to help key their victory.
> Among returners, Ella Schabort finished with 12 kills in that contest, while Kendall Mairs completed a double-double with 27 assists and 16 digs, tying Zara Stewart for match-high honors in the latter statistic.
> With the loss, SDSU dropped to 27-34 overall in the crosstown series against USD.

NO PLACE LIKE HOME
> Since the beginning of the 2009 campaign, Aztecs have amassed a 134-93 (.590) record at home, highlighted by a 14-0 mark during the 2012 season when SDSU captured the Mountain West championship.
> The Aztecs are 9-8 in their last 17 home openers after posting a 3-1 decision over UC San Diego in their 2025 lid-lifter.
> With its victory over the Tritons last year, SDSU is 31-19 in home openers since the program’s inception in 1976.
> In 2024, the Aztecs posted a 10-2 ledger at Peterson Gym, 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 outside hitter Layla Austin and Arizona libero Gigi Whann, both class of 2026 graduates, faced each other six times as prep rivals in the state of Texas. Austin's Southake Carroll High School team posted a 4-2 record against Whann's Highland Park squad between 2023 and 2025, according to MaxPreps.
> Similarly, Aztec freshman setter Logan Cary and Wildcat sophomore middle blocker Maya Flemister twice met on the prep scene in Colorado. Cary's Rock Canyon High School team was victorious over Flemister's Arapahoe High squad on both occasions in 2023 and 2024, according to MaxPreps.
> Arizona freshman middle blocker Marina Vosloo is a 2026 graduate of Torrey Pines High School and previously played for the Wave Volleyball program in Del Mar.
> Saturday's match at USD marks Brent Hilliard’s fourth encounter against his former team after accepting the head coaching position at San Diego State in January 2020. Hilliard was an assistant with the Toreros for 19 years, serving as the program’s associate head coach from 2007-19. 

SDSU IN PAC-12 RANKINGS
> Despite sitting out the CSU Bakersfield match, Taelyn Bentley is perched atop the conference with a .457 hitting percentage as of Sept. 16 after combining for a .727 efficiency against Santa Clara and California last weekend.
> In addition, Kendall Mairs and  Ella Schabort and find themselves among the Pac-12 leaders in three categories. 
> Mairs ranks second in assists (9.66/set), fifth in service aces (0.38/set) and 10th in digs (2.90/set), while Schabort is slotted fifth in kills (3.62/set) and seventh in hitting percentage (.295) while tying for 10th in services aces (0.34/set).
> Not to be outdone, Zara Stewart occupies the fourth spot in digs (3.69/set), while Layla Austin ranks sixth in kills (3.52/set).
> In addition, Layla Austin occupies the third spot with 4.12 kills per set and the 10th position with a .263 hitting percentage.
> As a team, the Aztecs lead the Pac-12 in assists (12.41/set) and are slotted second in hitting percentage (.239) and third in both kills (13.24/set) and digs (14.31/set).
> The Aztecs' .407 hitting percentage at Santa Clara marks the highest team efficiency for a single match thus far in the Pac-12, while its .340 clip against UC Irvine ranks eighth.
> SDSU's total of 64 team kills against California is tied for the fourth-best figure in the league this season, while its 46 put-aways at Santa Clara and vs. UC Irvine are tied for the fourth-highest total in a three-set match.
> Similarly, the Aztecs dished out 62 assists against Cal, which is tied for the third-best figure in the conference. The Scarlet and Black also handed out 42 helpers at UC Davis and Santa Clara, which are tied for the fourth-highest total.
> The Aztecs' 57 team digs against UC Davis marks the second-best figure in the conference for a three-set match this season, while their 70 digs the following day vs. Cal Poly represent the third-highest total in a four-set contest.
 > Individually, Ella Schabort's .692 hitting percentage (19-1-26) at Santa Clara represents the highest clip in the Pac-12 so far this year, while her 19 kills in that contest is tops for a three-set match.
> In addition, Layla Austin's .586 efficiency (18-1-29) against UC Irvine ranks third in the league, while her 18 kills from that outing is slotted second for a three-set match. Austin's total of 15 kills at UC Davis is tied for third in a three-set match.
> Elsewhere, Zara Stewart has recorded the second highest dig-total in the Pac-12 for a four-set match with 21 scoops against IU Indy.
> Kendall Mairs owns four of the top assist performances in the league this season, with her 33 helpers at UC Davis and 32 at Santa Clara ranking fourth and fifth, respectively, for a three-set match. Additionally, her effort of 42 assists vs. California is tied for fourth in the conference, while her 44 helpers against CSU Bakersfield is tied for fifth.

NEWCOMERS CONTRIBUTING
> Eight of the Aztecs' 10 newcomers have seen action this season, with three of those players appearing in all 29 sets.
> Along with Layla Austin's elite production,  SDSU has received steady contributions from middle blockers Tessa Schouten and Taelyn Bentley.
> A transfer from Saint Mary's, Schouten leads the team with 24 blocks and 0.83 blocks per set. In addition, the Aztec junior occupies the fourth spot on the team with 43 kills (1.48/set).
> At the Aggie Invitational against Cal Poly, Schouten set season highs with nine kills, seven block assists and three digs. 
> Defensive specialist Nazare Judd has also played in all 29 sets for the Scarlet and Black this year, earning a start in each of the last four matches, highlighted by a season-best performance of seven digs vs. Santa Clara.
> A San Diego native who returned to her hometown after spending her freshman season at San José State, Judd has collected 33 digs for the year (1.14/set) to go with seven setting assists. 
> Despite sitting out the last match vs. CSU Bakersfield, Bentley currently leads the Pac-12 with a .457 hitting percentage while occupying the third spot on the team in blocks (16, 0.64/set) and kills (46, 1.84/set).
> At the Santa Clara Mission Classic, Bentley logged a season-best 11 kills vs. California, hitting .667 after committing just one error in 15 attempts. Previously, the South Florida transfer came up with a season-high five block assists against UC Irvine at the Husky Invitational.
> Elsewhere, Ole Miss transfer Annabelle De Jager has appeared in 22 sets across seven matches this season, ranking fifth on the team with 43 kills (1.73/set) while adding 26 digs (1.18/set) and seven blocks.
> In addition, senior Haylee Brown enjoyed a breakout match against California when she blasted a season-high 10 kills in 26 attempts with just one error for a .346 hitting percentage. The Nevada transfer also assisted on a pair of blocks vs. the Golden Bears.
> Freshman Chelsea Cocks earned her first career start against CSU Bakersfield and responded with a season-high four kills and six blocks, including a pair of solo efforts.

AUSTIN AWESOME
> Freshman sensation Layla Austin has made an immediate impact in her first season with the Aztecs, climbing to sixth in the Pac-12 rankings with an average of 3.52 kills per set.
> A former prep All-American from Southlake, Texas, Austin has led the Scarlet and Black with double-digit kills in seven of eight matches this year, highlighted by a collegiate-best 18 put-aways vs. UC Irvine at the Husky Invitational on Aug. 30.
> Against the Anteaters, Austin committed just one error in 39 attempts for a .586 hitting percentage, which marks the third-highest efficiency in the Pac-12 so far this season.
> For her efforts, Austin earned a spot on the Husky Invite all-tournament team.
> Additionally, Austin has posted two of the Aztecs' other top-six hitting percentages of the season, including  a .400 clip (17-5-30) vs. IU Indy on Aug. 28 and a .359 efficiency (15-1-39) against Cal Poly on Sept. 4.
> Not to be outdone, Austin ranks third on the squad with 72 digs (2.48/set), highlighted by a career-best 20 scoops vs. Cal on Sept. 12.

SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
> Arizona (3-5) split two contests in Los Angeles last weekend, dropping a narrow 3-1 decision to then-No. 16 USC (21-25, 25-20, 20-25, 23-25) before turning the tables with a four-set victory over Oregon State in a neutral-site affair (25-21, 25-23, 16-25, 27-25), which snapped a five-match losing streak. The Wildcats are 0-2 in true road matches this season, countering a 1-2 ledger in neutral-site contests with a 2-1 mark at home. Before locking horns with the Aztecs on Friday, Arizona will square off against USD on Thursday night at Jenny Craig Pavilion. In 2025, the Wildcats lost to Stanford the second-round of the NCAA Tournament to finish with a 17-13 overall record. Prior to the 2026 campaign, junior outside hitter Carlie Cisneros was named to the preseason all-Big 12 team. Last year, Cisneros served up a team-high 29 aces while ranking second on the squad in kills (347) and kills per set (3.10) to earn second-team all-conference honors. Through eight matches this season, outside hitter Destiny Ndam-Simpson leads Arizona with an average of 3.21 kills per set, followed by opposite hitter Kennedy Osunsammi (2.10/set). In addition, Maria Olga Siapani (4.87 assists/set) and Harmony Sampson (3.50 assists/set) have split the Wildcats' setting chores this year. Sampson and Ndam-Simpson also share the team lead with nine service aces apiece. At the net, middle blocker Journey Tucker ranks sixth in the Big 12 with an average of 1.29 blocks per set, while Kristen Dear is slotted 16th in that category (1.00/set). As a team, Arizona leads the conference in digs (14.53/set) while ranking eighth in aces (1.50/set) and 10th in blocks (2.53/set). Conversely, the Wildcats occupy the 15th spot in kills (11.83/set), assists (10.20/set) and hitting percentage (.203). Arizona alumna Charita Stubbs is in her fourth season as head coach on the Tucson campus after spending two stints as an assistant coach/associate head coach across 22 years on the Wildcats staff (1997-2005, 2013-22). The former Charita Johnson was a four-year starter as a middle blocker with the program from 1991-94, helping Arizona to consecutive NCAA Sweet 16 appearance during her junior and senior campaigns. She still holds the Wildcats' career (117) and single-match (8) records for solo blacks.

> San Diego (3-5) posted a 1-2 mark at the Snyder-Park Classic in Tempe, Arizona, last weekend, dropping a pair of 3-1 decisions to and No. 7 Arizona State (15-25, 25-23, 11-25, 14) and No. 24 Oregon, (25-16, 19-25, 25-27, 17-25) to close the tournament after escaping with a five-set nail-biter against UC Davis (24-26, 25-21, 22-25, 25-23, 15-11). Prior to Saturday's showdown with SDSU, the Toreros will play host to Arizona on Thursday. After capturing the West Coast Conference regular-season championship and advancing to the first round of the NCAA Tournament last year, USD was picked to repeat in the 2026 WCC preseason coaches poll. In addition, the Toreros landed four players on the all-WCC preseason team, including outside hitters Kierstyn Barton and Nemo Beach, along with setter Kylie Munday and middle blocker BayLea Sparks. Entering the week, Barton is tied for sixth in the conference in kills (3.33/set), while Beach is slotted ninth in that category (3.13/set). In addition, libero Lauren Lynch occupies the second spot in the WCC in digs (4.67/set), while Munday ranks third in assists (10.10/set). Elsewhere, middle blocker Megan Scholz is slotted fourth in the league in blocks (1.22/set), while Sparks ranks fifth  in hitting percentage (.340).  As a team, the Toreros are slotted second in the WCC in digs (15.67/set) and opponent hitting percentage (.172) while occupying the third position in blocks (2.17/set). Additionally, USD ranks third in the conference in assists (11.93), fourth in kills (12.83/set) and seventh in hitting percentage (.163). Now in her 28th year with the program, head coach Jennifer Petrie has led the Toreros to the NCAA Tournament on 23 occasions during her career, highlighted by a Final Four appearance in 2022. 

ON THE HORIZON
> The Aztecs open their inaugural Pac-12 Conference schedule next week when they travel to the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains to battle Colorado State on Thursday, Sept. 24, before returning to the Golden State for a clash with Fresno State in the Central Valley on Saturday, Sept. 26.

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.