Aztecs Upended by Cal Poly in Four Sets after Comeback Effort Falls Short

DAVIS, Calif. – The San Diego State volleyball team staged a valiant comeback effort on Friday, but it wasn’t enough, as the Aztecs dropped a narrow 3-1 decision to Cal Poly (22-25, 22-25, 25-20, 24-26) in their final match of the Aggie Invitational at University Credit Union Center.

Facing an earlier 2-0 deficit in sets, SDSU (3-2) captured the third stanza and seemed poised to extend the contest to a decisive fifth frame after reaching set point at 24-22 in the fourth. However, the Mustangs (3-1), who received votes in the latest AVCA Division I coaches poll, caught proverbial lightning in a bottle, scoring four consecutive points to escape with the victory and hand the Scarlet and Black a hard-fought defeat.

Three Aztecs completed double-doubles on the day, including Ella Schabort (12 digs) and Layla Austin (11 digs), who paced the SDSU attack with 14 kills apiece, while setter Kendall Mairs accomplished the feat for the third match in a row and fourth time this season after dishing out a career-high 41 assists and collecting 12 digs.

Additionally, Tessa Schouten launched nine put-aways of her own and led all players with a season-high seven block assists, while Schabort tied her collegiate best after assisting on five rejections.

Not to be outdone, Zara Stewart turned in another stellar performance along the back row after finishing with a match-high 17 digs.

The contest featured mistakes on both sides of the net, as the two sides combined for 48 attack errors and 28 service errors.

The Aztecs maintained the statistical advantage in digs (70-65); however, Cal Poly held a slight edge in kills (53-50), team blocks (11.0 to 9.0) and service aces (5-3) to help keep the Scarlet and Black at bay.

Trailing 2-0 on the set scoreboard, SDSU began its gradual climb back into contention after posting its best hitting percentage of the match with a .237 efficiency, knocking down 13 kills in 38 attempts with just four errors. Austin hit at a .500 clip in that third frame, blasting six kills in 10 swings with one miscue, while Schabort floored four shots and joined forces with Schouten on a trio of blocks.

Save for three ties and a 4-1 deficit, the Aztecs led for most of the set but were unable to give themselves much separation until a timely 7-2 closing run broke an 18-18 deadlock. Mairs served up an ace and Austin soon followed with a pair of kills before putting away a shot and combining with Schouten on a block for the clinching points.

Both teams enjoyed their own three-point leads in the fourth set, including a 17-14 spread by the Mustangs following an SDSU attack error. The Mustangs followed with a 5-1 spurt, capped by Emma Frederick’s kill, to jump in front by a 19-18 count.

Moments later, the Aztecs responded with a 5-1 outburst of their own to craft a seemingly comfortable 23-20 advantage late in the frame. Austin and Schouten each knocked down a kill during that stretch after the latter teamed with Schabort on a block.

Despite another Frederick put-away and its own subsequent attack error, SDSU still reached set point at 24-22 following a wayward Mustang serve. However, the Aztecs self-destructed at this juncture with a service error and misguided attack, while Kendall Beshear followed with a kill before Alexis Haury and Breklyn Pulling combined on a block to steal the set and secure the victory.

Frederick notched a double-double after leading all players with 17 kills to go with 11 digs. The Cal Poly outside hitter launched seven non-returnables in the fourth set alone when she hit .538 on 13 attempts without an error. In addition, Kayla Murdoch reached the double-digit kill plateau with 11 put-aways of her own, while Haury also completed a double-double with 39 assists and 11.

Elsewhere, Pulling contributed six blocks, including a trio of solo stops, while Beshear collected a team-high 16 digs in the win.

Earlier, the Aztecs found themselves in pursuit mode for the entire opening set, facing an 18-13 deficit after consecutive kills by Frederick. Unfazed, SDSU responded with a 5-1 surge, punctuated by Austin and Schouten’s combined block to pull within one at 19-18.

The Aztecs were unable to seize the upper hand, however, as the Mustangs closed with a 6-4 run to ice the frame. SDSU was plagued by an errant serve and an off-target attack down the stretch, while Frederick floored a pair of shots, including one for the clinching point.

A highly competitive second set soon followed, as the teams combined for 15 ties and five lead changes. The Scarlet and Black overcame an early 7-2 deficit to forge a series of one-point leads, including a 21-20 advantage following a joint block by Schouten and Annabelle De Jager.

However, SDSU was victimized by another 5-1 run by Cal Poly, which received two late kills by Murdoch, while Pulling followed with a solo rejection moments later before teaming with Haury on another block for the winning point.

San Diego State will be back in action next weekend when it returns to northern California for the Santa Clara Mission Classic, Sept. 11-13, in Santa Clara, California. The Aztecs will square off against the host Broncos, California and Cal State Bakersfield on consecutive days.