High Efficiency Attack Fuels Aztecs' Sweep of Texas State

 

SAN DIEGO – The red-hot San Diego State volleyball team recorded its seventh straight victory on Saturday with a 3-0 whitewash of Texas State (25-21, 25-19, 25-19) in a Pac-12 match inside Aztec Court at Peterson Gym.

With the win, the Aztecs (12-6, 7-1 Pac-12) completed the third sweep in their last four matches and eighth of the season to solidify their hold on second place in the Pac-12 race, remaining hot on the heels of front-runner Colorado State (14-3, 7-0 Pac-12).

Conversely, the Bobcats dropped their third in a row, falling to 7-12 on the year and 2-6 in conference play.

As a team, SDSU posted a season-best .435 hitting percentage after blasting 48 kills in 85 attempts with just 11 errors, marking its highest efficiency for a single match since the 2012 campaign when the Scarlet and Black finished with a .438 clip in a home sweep of Montana.

In addition, the Aztecs’ seven-match winning streak represents their longest victory stretch since an unblemished 12-match run to end the 2012 regular season.

Along with a 48-39 advantage in kills, SDSU held a slight edge in service aces (5-3) and team blocks (5.0 to 3.0) to help key their win.

Individually, the Aztecs were led by the trio of Layla Austin (15 kills), Ella Schabort (11 kills) and Haylee Brown (9 kills), who combined for 35 of the team’s 48 put-aways.

The Scarlet and Black also received valuable contributions from Taelyn Bentley (6 kills, 3 block assists) and Tessa Schouten (5 kills), who both hit .556 for the match.

In addition, Kendall Mairs led all players with 36 assists and tied for match-high honors with five digs, while Zara Stewart tied her career best with three service aces.

The Aztecs came out firing on all cylinders with 17 kills in the opening set, including eight by Austin, while Schabort put away four shots in the frame. After three early ties, SDSU built a series of four-point leads, including a 17-13 advantage on a Schouten kill.

Unfazed, Texas State remained within striking distance, scoring four straight points to knot the score at 17-17. Caelyn Robel and Brooke Bentke each knocked down a kill, sandwiched around an Aztec attack error and Camryn Kimes’ service ace. However, SDSU received consecutive terminations from Brown and Austin to spark a timely 8-4 closing run.

The Bobcats narrowed the gap to 21-20 on another Bentke put-away but were unable to gain the upper hand. Austin followed consecutive kills and joined forces with Bentley on a block, while Schabort launched a non-returnable for the clinching point.

With momentum on their side, the Aztecs took their attack to new heights in the second stanza, where they posted a scintillating .667 hitting percentage after blasting 17 additional kills in 24 swings with just one error. Schabort (.833) took center stage with five kills in six attempts during the set, while Brown (.800) terminated four shots in five swings.

SDSU led wire-to-wire and were poised to break open the score after a Schabort kill gave the host school a 12-7 advantage. Texas State would not go quietly, as the visitors twice trimmed the margin to one, including a 16-15 spread after a Robel floored a shot.

The Aztecs withstood the challenge, however, as Austin followed with two kills sandwiched around a Stewart ace to ignite another strong 9-4 closing run. Bentley and Schabort combined on two blocks down the stretch, while Schouten added a late kill to help extinguish the Bobcats’ faint comeback hopes.

The third set was nearly a carbon copy of the second, where the Scarlet and Black watched an early five-point lead evaporate but prevented Texas State from seizing control. SDSU benefited from consecutive Bobcat attack errors to vault in front by an 11-6 count, only to see the visitors forge a pair of ties, including a 16-16 deadlock following a Peyton McKee kill.

Once again, the Aztecs flashed their trademark resolve with four straight points to take command. Schouten combined with Austin and Mairs on two blocks, respectively, while the Bobcats self-destructed with an errant serve and a misguided attack.

With visions of another sweep clearly in focus at 20-16, the Scarlet and Black did not relent, as Austin launched two kills down the stretch, including the match-winner, while Schouten, Schabort and Bentley each floored a shot during the closing run to help put the victory on ice.

Texas State was led by Bentke’s 11 kills, while McKee and Ashley Euston finished with seven non-returnables apiece in the loss.

San Diego State opens its second half of Pac-12 play next weekend when it hits the road to face Gonzaga on Saturday, Oct. 24, starting at noon PT in Spokane, Washington.