Aztecs Open Inaugural Pac-12 Schedule at Colorado State, Fresno State

SAN DIEGO -- The San Diego State volleyball team opens its first season of Pac-12 competition this week when it hits the road to battle former Mountain West rivals Colorado State and Fresno State.

The Aztecs will lock horns with the Rams on Thursday, Sept. 24, starting at 6 p.m. MT/5 p.m. PT, before returning to California's Central Valley to face the Bulldogs on Saturday, Sept. 26, beginning at 1 p.m.

Along with live stats, both matches will air live on the Pac-12 YouTube Channel, with links available on GoAztecs.com.

OPENING SERVE
> San Diego State will play 16 matches this season in a home-and-away format against the eight other Pac-12 members.
> Along with this week's opponents, the Aztecs will face two additional former MW adversaries this fall in Boise State and Utah State, joining conference stalwarts Oregon State and Washington State, as well as Gonzaga and Texas State.
> The host school for the 2026 Pac-12 Championship, scheduled for Nov. 23-25, will be determined by calculating the win-percentage of each team's results from the first match vs. each opponent.
> During its 27 years as Mountain West members, SDSU posted a 14-13 record in conference openers, including a sweep at Fresno State last season.
> The Scarlet and Black completed its non-conference schedule with a 5-5 record after dropping a pair of matches last week. 
> In their home opener on Sept. 18, the Aztecs were unable to curtail a furious comeback in a tough five-set to Arizona (25-16, 25-19, 18-25, 19-25, 8-15) before falling short by a 3-1 count the following night at crosstown adversary San Diego (20-25, 25-22, 16-25, 15-25).
> Against the Wildcats, Ella Schabort tied her career high with 19 kills, while Annabelle De Jager (13), Layla Austin (11) and Taelyn Bentley (10) reached double figures in that statistic, but it wasn't enough.
> The following night vs. the Toreros, SDSU captured the second set to tie the match but was unable to keep pace the rest of the match, as USD out-hit the Scarlet and Black .328 to minus-.053 over the final two frames to dash an Aztec comeback hopes.

SERIES RECORDS
> Colorado State owns a sizable 54-19 advantage in the all-times series, including a four-set triumph in the semifinals of the 2025 Mountain West Championship. 
> In that contest, the sixth-seeded Aztecs captured the opening set, but were unable to keep pace with the No. 2 seed Rams, who hit .474 over the final two frames to secure the victory.
> Among returners, Ella Schabort (11 kills), Kendall Mairs (21 assists) and Zara Stewart (11 digs) led the Scarlet and Black in their respective statistical categories, while Mila Gehlen (.385) launched six put-aways off the bench.
> The Scarlet and Black faced Colorado State just once during the regular season in 2025, with the Rams posting a 3-1 victory at Peterson Gym.
> San Diego State leads the all-time series against Fresno State 39-20 in 59 varsity meetings dating back to 1976.
> The Aztecs have won four straight vs. the Bulldogs, including a pair of sweeps in their two matches during the 2025 campaign.
> Among returners, Mila Gehlen led the Scarlet and Black with 15 kills (2.50/set) in those two contests, while Zara Stewart combined for 27 digs (4.50/set).
> In 2024, the Aztecs also recorded a four-set victory against Fresno State in the first round of the Mountain West tournament.

MATCH CONNECTIONS
> San Diego State setter Logan Cary and Colorado State middle blocker Olivia Ewing, both freshmen this season, twice met on the prep scene in Colorado. Ewing's Fossil Ridge High School team was victorious over Cary's Rock Canyon squad on both occasions to open the 2024 and 2025 campaigns, according to MaxPreps.
> Similarly, Aztec freshman Layla Austin and Ram sophomore Halle Jameson squared off as high school players in Texas. As a prep junior, Jameson's Rockwall High team defeated Southlake Carroll, 2-1, on Aug. 25, 2023 when Austin was a sophomore. According to MaxPreps, Austin finished with 15 kills, nine digs and one block assist in that contest, while Jameson totaled seven kills, two digs and a solo block.

SDSU IN PAC-12 RANKINGS
> Entering the opening week of conference play, Taelyn Bentley is slotted second in the Pac-12 with a .385 hitting percentage.
> In addition, Kendall Mairs finds herself among the league leaders in two categories, ranking third in assists (8.92/set) and eighth in digs (3.05/set).
> Elsewhere, Ella Schabort (3.47/set) occupies the fourth spot in the league in kills, while Layla Austin (3.18/set) is slotted eighth in that statistic. 
> Not to be outdone, Zara Stewart ranks fourth in digs (3.68/set).
> As a team, SDSU occupies the second position in the Pac-12 in both assists (11.97/set) and digs (14.50/set) while ranking fourth in kills (12.82/set) and fifth in hitting percentage (.207).
> The Aztecs' .407 hitting percentage at Santa Clara marks the second-highest team efficiency for a single match thus far in the Pac-12, while their .340 clip against UC Irvine ranks 10th.
> SDSU's total of 64 team kills against California is tied for the fourth-best figure in the league this season, while its 63 put-aways vs. Arizona is tied for seventh.
> Similarly, the Aztecs dished out 62 assists against Cal, which is tied for the third-best figure in the conference.
> The Aztecs' 57 team digs against UC Davis marks the third-best figure in the conference for a three-set match this season, while their 70 digs the following day vs. Cal Poly represent the fourth-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.
> Schabort's equaled that total with 19 put-aways against Arizona, with both figures tied for ninth in all matches.
> 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 dished out 42 assists vs. California, which is tied for fourth during a five-set match this season, while her 33 helpers at UC Davis is tied for fifth in a three-set match.

NEWCOMERS CONTRIBUTING
> Nine of the Aztecs' 10 newcomers have seen action this season, with two of those players - Layla Austin and Nazare Judd appearing in all 38 sets.
> Along with Austin's elite production, SDSU has received steady contributions from middle blockers Taelyn Bentley and Tessa Schouten and Taelyn Bentley.
> A sophomore transfer from South Florida, Bentley ranks second in the Pac-12 with a .385 hitting percentage and is slotted third on the team with 59 kills (1.74/set) and 22 blocks (0.65/set).  
> At the Santa Clara Mission Classic, Bentley hit a combined .727, knocking down 17 kills in just 22 attempts with one error.
> The Corvallis, Oregon, native  blasted a career-high 11 kills in the that tournament vs. Cal before launching 10 put-aways against Arizona in the Aztecs home opener. Against the Wildcats, Bentley also came up with a season-high six block assists.
> A junior transfer from Saint Mary's, Schouten leads the team with 27 blocks and ranks fifth with 46 kills (1.35/set). 
> At the Aggie Invitational against Cal Poly, Schouten set season highs with nine kills, seven block assists and three digs. 
> Elsewhere, Ole Miss transfer Annabelle De Jager has appeared in 30 sets across nine matches this season, ranking fourth on the team with 56 kills (1.87/set) while adding 37 digs (1.23/set) and 10 blocks.
> De Jager enjoyed a breakout match in SDSU's home opener against Arizona when she launched a career-high 13 kills to go with eight digs.
> Judd has also played in all 38 sets for the Scarlet and Black this year, earning a start in five of the last six matches, highlighted by a season-best performance of eight digs vs. Arizona.
> 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 (1.18/set) to go with seven setting assists. 
> In addition, senior Haylee Brown has seen increased playing time of late, appearing in five straight matches, highlighted by a season-high performance of 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. She also received a starting assignment at San Diego, where she matched her season best with four additional put-aways while adding a trio of block assists.
> Freshman Lauranta Iyalekehue made her first two collegiate appearances last weekend when she played in one set apiece vs. Arizona and at USD.

AUSTIN AWESOME
> Freshman sensation Layla Austin has made an immediate impact in her first season with the Aztecs, ranking eighth among the Pac-12 leaders this week with an average of 3.18 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 fourth-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 95 digs (2.50/set), highlighted by a career-best 20 scoops vs. Cal on Sept. 12.

SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
> Colorado State (7-3) split two matches against then-No. 17 Colorado, dropping a narrow 3-1 decision (23-25, 25-27, 25-22, 21-25) in Boulder before turning the tables with a sweep in Fort Collins the following night (25-21, 25-23, 25-15). As a result, the Rams received seven votes in the AVCA Division I Coaches Poll on Sept. 21. CSU is 5-1 at home this season, 1-2 in true road matches and 1-0 on a neutral court. Prior to the 2026 campaign, the Rams were picked to finish first in the Pac-12 preseason coaches poll, while middle blocker Eve Wilson, setter Erin Debiec  and outside hitter Halle Jameson were named to the league's Preseason Impact Team. Entering the week, Wilson leads the Pac-12 in hitting percentage (.392) and is slotted fifth in blocks (1.25/set), while Debiec tops in the conference in assists (10.17/set) and occupies the fifth position in service aces (0.39/set). In addition, middle blocker Kekua Richards and outside hitter Maria Brun find themselves among the Pac-12 leaders as well. Richards ranks second in blocks (1.40/set) and fifth in hitting percentage (.340), while Brun is slotted third in service aces (0.44/set). Elsewhere, libero Karsyn Fetzer occupies the sixth spot in the conference in digs (3.61), while Jameson ranks seventh in kills (3.19/set). As a team, the Rams are slotted in the top half of the Pac-12 in several categories, including hitting percentage (1st, .238), kills (2nd, 13.19/set), blocks (2nd, 2.65/set), service aces (3rd, 1.69/set) and assists (4th, 11.86/set). Colorado State is under the direction of fourth-year head coach Emily Kohan, who was promoted to the position prior to the 2023 campaign after spending seven seasons as an assistant with Rams, including the final four as associate head coach. With Kohan on staff, CSU has qualified for postseason play on six occasions.

> Fresno State (5-6) captured both matches at the Saint Mary's Tournament last weekend, earning a four-set triumph over former Mountain West rival New Mexico (25-20, 25-22, 12-25, 27-25) before posting a 3-2 comeback victory over the host Gaels (19-25, 25-23, 20-25, 25-23, 15-12). The Bulldogs have played just three home matches, compiling a 2-1 record, to go with a 1-2 ledger on the road and a 2-3 mark in neutral-site affairs. Prior to Saturday's showdown with the Aztecs, Fresno State will play host to Washington State in its conference opener. The Bulldogs had three players who named to the Pac-12 Preseason Impact List in outside hitter Jenna Legault, middle blocker Brooklyn Washington and opposite hitter Kiley Devery. Entering the week, Legault leads the league with 4.02 kills per set and 30 service aces (0.68/set), while libero Olivia Lombardi is slotted seventh in digs (3.48/set). Elsewhere, Washington tops the squad in blocks (43.0, 1.00/set), while Anna Bolich ranks ninth in the Pac-12 in assists (4.61/set), sharing the setter responsibilities with Gabby Lombardi (3.95 assists/set). Collective, Fresno State is slotted third in the league in blocks (2.61/set), fourth in service aces (1.55/set) and sixth in digs (13.23/set), but rank just eighth in hitting percentage (.187) and ninth in kills (10.77/set). The Bulldogs are guided by fourth-year head coach Leisa Rosen, who spent the previous 24 seasons as an assistant at Michigan, including 22 years as associate head coach. During her tenure on the Ann Arbor campus, Rosen coached 12 All-Americans and helped coach the Wolverines to postseason play on 19 occasions. In that stretch, Michigan amassed 468 victories, including 66 wins over top-25 opponents, and was ranked or received votes in the AVCA Top 25 poll in each of her final 14 seasons.

ON THE HORIZON
> The Aztecs continue their road swing next week when they travel to face Boise State (Oct. 1) and Washington State (Oct. 3) in Pac-12 action.

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.