Aztecs Prep for Two Matches at Boise State, WSU

SAN DIEGO -- The San Diego State volleyball team wraps up its conference-opening road swing this weekend with a pair of Pac-12 matches at Boise State and Washington State.

The Aztecs open the new month by battling the Broncos on Thursday, Oct. 1, starting at 6 p.m. MT/5 p.m. PT, before facing the Cougars in the Palouse on Saturday, Oct. 3, beginning at noon PT.

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 split its inaugural two matches in Pac-12 competition last week, dropping a four-set decision at Colorado State (25-23, 19-25, 14-25, 19-25) before rebounding with a sweep at Fresno State (25-23, 25-18, 25-18).
> With their results, the Aztecs move to 3-3 in true road matches this season while maintaining a 3-2 mark in neutral-site contests and an 0-1 ledger at home.
> Against the Bulldogs, SDSU posted its third-best hitting percentage of the year with a .316 clip to defeat Fresno State for the fifth straight meeting.
> In that match, the Aztecs were led by Ella Schabort, who blasted 12 kills, surpassing the double-digit plateau for the eighth time this year, while Tessa Schouten launched a career-high 11 put-aways of her own and tied her season best with three solo blocks.
> Entering the weekend, Taelyn Bentley leads the Pac-12 with a .415 hitting percentage after posting a .560 efficiency in two matches at CSU and Fresno State, when she combined for 15 kills in 25 attempts with just one error.
> In addition, Zara Stewart has climbed into second in the conference individual rankings with an average of 3.84 digs per set, while Kendall Mairs has moved into the third spot in assists (9.11/set).
> Following this weekend's excursion, the Aztecs will have played 13 of their first 14 matches away from Peterson Gym. In that span, SDSU faced Arizona in its lone home match on Sept. 18.
> However, the battle-tested Aztecs will get a lengthy respite from the road with seven of its next eight matches to be contested on The Mesa.
 
SERIES RECORDS
> The Broncos hold a slim 14-13 edge in the all-time series since the two programs first met in 2005. 
> After winning a neutral-site match at the 2005 Red Raider Roundup in Lubbock, Texas, the Aztecs are 6-6 vs. Boise State in San Diego and 6-8 at Bronco Gym.
> The teams split two matches last season, with each side winning on the road. SDSU was victorious in its last visit to the Gem State, posting a 3- 1 triumph (25-14, 25-20, 20-25, 25-20) before suffering a reversal of fortune at home in another tight four-set battle, (26-24, 20-25, 19-25, 20-25).
> In last year's victory at Boise State, the Aztecs received a career performance from Annelise Rising, who launched 16 kills off the bench and recorded a brilliant .682 efficiency after committing just one error in 22 swings.
> SDSU's fortunes were also buoyed by Ella Schabort, who registered 14 kills and hit .462, committing just two miscues in 26 attempts, while Kendall Mairs logged a double-double with 26 assists and a season-high 19 digs. 
> The Aztecs will face Washington State for the first time in program history when the two sides lock horns in Bohler Gym.
> Saturday's SDSU-WSU clash marks the Cougars' lone match of the week.
> The Aztecs will be making their second of three trips to the Evergreen State this season after posting a 2-1 record at the University of Washington's Husky Invitational, Aug. 28-30, in Seattle.
> SDSU will return to eastern Washington on Saturday, Oct. 24, when it squares off against Gonzaga in Spokane.

MATCH CONNECTIONS
> San Diego State sophomore setter Kendall Mairs and Boise State sophomore outside hitter Sydney Dreves faced one another as high schools seniors in the state of Washington. Mairs' Camas High team posted a 3-2 road victory over Dreves' Columbia River High squad in a non-conference match on Sept. 23, 2024.
> Aztec freshman setter Stephanie Gonzalez and Bronco freshman outside hitter Savannah Sheridan were teammates at Temecula Valley High School, as well as the BRUSA Volleyball club.
> Boise State senior setter Tehya Maeva is a 2023 graduate of Cathedral Catholic High in San Diego who played two seasons at Nevada in 2023 and 2024 before transferring to Syracuse for the 2025 campaign.
> With the Wolf Pack, Maeva faced San Diego State on four occasions, compiling 92 assists (7.67/set), 28 digs (2.33/set), eight kills, eight block assists and four service aces in 12 sets overall. Maeva's Nevada squad went 2-2 against the Aztecs, winning two matches in Reno.
> In addition, Bronco sophomore middle blocker Athena Cox is a transfer from California Baptist who graduated in 2023 from the Academy of Our Lady of Peace in San Diego, where she was an all-CIF selection.
> Washington State sports two transfers who have faced the Aztecs at their previous schools in middle blocker Ella Smith and defensive specialist Chloe Heimlicher.
> Smith appeared in two matches as a reserve for Fresno State against San Diego State, posting one block assist in the third set of the 2025 regular-season finale at Peterson Gym, where the Aztecs completed a three-set sweep. As a Bulldog, she also came off the bench in the fourth set of SDSU's  3-1 triumph in the first round of the 2024 Mountain West Championship but did not record a statistic.
> Meanwhile, Heimlicher began her collegiate career at Idaho State, where she collected five digs, one setting assist and one service ace in a three-set loss to San Diego State as a sophomore at ISU's own Bengal Classic in 2024.

SDSU IN PAC-12 RANKINGS
> Entering the second week of conference play, Taelyn Bentley leads the in the Pac-12 with a .415 hitting percentage after combining for a .560 efficiency in two matches at Colorado State and Fresno State.
> In addition, Kendall Mairs finds herself among the league leaders in three categories, ranking third in assists (9.11/set), sixth in service aces (0.36/set) and eighth in digs (3.00/set).
> Elsewhere, Ella Schabort (3.49/set) occupies the fourth spot in the league in kills, while Layla Austin (3.04/set) is slotted eighth in that statistic. 
> Not to be outdone, Zara Stewart ranks fourth in digs (3.84/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.
> SDSU's total of 64 team kills against California is tied for the sixth-best figure in the league this season, while its 63 put-aways vs. Arizona is tied for ninth.
> Similarly, the Aztecs dished out 62 assists against Cal, which is tied for the fifth-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.
 > 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 sixth in the league, while her 18 kills from that outing is slotted second for a three-set match.
> Elsewhere, Zara Stewart has recorded the third highest dig-total in the Pac-12 for a four-set match with 21 scoops against IU Indy, while her 16 digs at Fresno State is tied for the fifth best in a three-set match.
> Kendall Mairs dished out 42 assists vs. California, which is tied for fifth during a five-set match this season.

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 3.04 kills per set.
> A former prep All-American from Southlake, Texas, Austin has led the Scarlet and Black with double-digit kills in 10 of 12 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 sixth-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 (min. 12 kills), 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 105 digs (2.33/set), highlighted by a career-best 20 scoops vs. Cal on Sept. 12.

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 45 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 leads the Pac-12 with a .415 hitting percentage and is slotted second on the team with 28 blocks while ranking third with 74 kills (1.80/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 31 blocks and ranks fourth with 64 kills (1.56/set). 
> In SDSU's sweep at Fresno State, Schouten established a career best with 11 kills after setting season highs with seven block assists and three digs against Cal Poly at the Aggie Invitational. 
> Elsewhere, Ole Miss transfer Annabelle De Jager has appeared in 35 sets across 11 matches this season, ranking fifth on the team with 63 kills (1.80/set) while adding 40 digs (1.14/set) and 11 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. In addition, the Eaton, Colorado, native collected a collegiate-best nine digs against Cal Poly at the Aggie Invitational. 
> Judd has also played in all 45 sets for the Scarlet and Black this year, earning a start in five straight matches from Sept. 4-18, 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 56 digs for the year (1.24/set) to go with seven setting assists. 
> In addition, senior Haylee Brown has seen increased playing time of late, appearing in six of the last matches, highlighted by a season-high performance of 10 kills against California at the Santa Clara Mission Classic, where she committed just one error in 26 attempts for a .346 hitting percentage. The Nevada transfer also assisted on a pair of blocks vs. the Golden Bears.
> Freshman middle blocker 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 stops. 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 setter Logan Cary has seen action in 17 sets as a reserve across eight matches thus far, posting a season-high 15 assists and seven digs at San Diego.
> Freshman middle blocker Lauranta Iyalekhue made her first two collegiate appearances, Sept. 18-19, when she played in one set apiece vs. Arizona and at USD.

SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
> Boise State (9-5, 1-0 Pac-12) opened its inaugural Pac-12 campaign with one match last week, posting a 3-1 home victory over Gonzaga (24-26, 25-18, 25-21, 25-16). In that contest, senior Kendall Hastings set a career high with 10 blocks to earn Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week honors. The Broncos are 6-2 at home this season, 2-0 in true road matches and 1-3 on a neutral court. Prior to the 2026 campaign, Boise State was picked to finish fourth in the Pac-12 preseason coaches poll.  Offensively, the Broncos are paced by sophomore Sydney Dreves, who ranks ninth in the conference in kills (2.84/set), while freshman Azlynn Tittmann (2.77), sophomore Amelia Hansen (2.10) and Hastings (2.04) are also averaging over two put-aways per frame. In addition, Hastings ranks third in the league in blocks (1.39/set) and is slotted ninth in hitting percentage (.304). Not to be outdone, senior Melia Barlow leads the Pac-12 in digs (4.12/set) and occupies the eighth spot in service aces (0.35/set). Elsewhere, the setting tandem of senior Tehya Maeva (5.57/set) and freshman Jenelle Legates (4.24/set) rank seventh and 10th in assists, respectively. As a team, Boise State is perched atop the Pac-12 in digs (15.45/set) and occupies the second position in service aces (1.65/set) while ranking fourth in blocks (2.47/set). In addition, the Broncos are slotted fifth in kills (12.69/set) and sixth in hitting percentage (.207). On the other side of the net, Boise State has limited opponents to a .165 efficiency, marking the third-lowest hitting percentage in the conference. Head coach Shawn Garus is in his 18th season in charge of the Bronco program, sporting a 422-334 career record and a 307-214 mark at the school. Garus captured back-to-back Mountain West Coach of the Year honors (2015-16) to go with 2016 AVCA Region Coach of the Year accolades.

> Washington State (6-6, 1-1 Pac-12) split two matches on the road last week to open conference play, sweeping Fresno State (28-26, 25-18, 25-21) before dropping an epic five-set decision to Oregon State (25-21, 18-25, 27-25, 20-25, 27-29), where the teams combined for a whopping 20 ties and six lead changes in the fifth set alone. Through 12 matches, the Cougars sport a 3-2 record at home, a 1-3 mark on the road and a 2-1 ledger in neutral-site contests. Prior to the 2026 campaign, WSU was picked to finish fifth in the Pac-12 preseason coaches poll. Offensively, junior Mary Healy (2.67/set) and freshman Whitney Dewicki  (1.87/set) have played in all 45 sets for the Cougars thus far, ranking second and third on the team in kills, respectively, behind sophomore Eliana Ti'a (3.09/set), who missed five matches from Sept. 11-24. At the net, three WSU players are listed among the league's top 10 in blocks, including senior Naomi White (1.53/set), who enters the week as the conference leader, while fellow classmate Kryssa Moerman (1.24/set) is slotted fifth, followed by Dewicki (1.07/set), who ranks ninth. In addition, junior Kambree Rodriguez occupies the third spot in the league in digs (3.82/set), while fellow classmate Audrey Hollis ranks eighth in assists (5.20/set), sharing the team's setting chores with sophomore Livia Ward (4.13/set). As a team, the Cougars lead the Pac-12 in blocks (3.12/set), which ranks second nationally, while their .157 opponent hitting percentage is slotted second in the conference and 15th in the country. In addition, WSU occupies the third spot in the league in digs (14.07/set) and the fourth position in hitting percentage (.221) but ranks just seventh in kills (12.20/set) and service aces (1.31/set). The Cougars are guided by third-year head coach Korey Schroeder, who joined the program as an assistant in 2023.  Prior to his arrival in the Palouse, Schroeder served a five-year stint as associate head coach/recruiting coordinator at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. His career record stands at 39-29.

ON THE HORIZON
> Following this weekend's action, San Diego State will play the seven of its next eight matches at home, starting on Thursday, Oct. 8, when it battles Oregon State at 6 p.m., followed by a clash with Gonzaga on Saturday, Oct. 10, beginning at noon.

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.