Streaking Aztecs Travel to Pacific Northwest to Battle Gonzaga on Saturday

SAN DIEGO -- Winners of seven straight, the white-hot San Diego State volleyball team opens the second half of its Pac-12 regular-season schedule on Saturday, Oct. 24, when it travels to the Pacific Northwest to face Gonzaga, starting at noon PT in Spokane, Washington.

Along with live stats, the Aztecs-Zags rematch will air live on the Pac-12 YouTube Channel, with links available on GoAztecs.com.

SDSU will be looking to complete the season sweep after claiming a 3-0 decision against Gonzaga at Peterson Gym on Oct. 10.

OPENING SERVE
> San Diego State extended its winning streak to seven straight matches with a pair of home victories over Utah State and Texas State last weekend.
> The Aztecs staged a furious rally to complete a dramatic reverse sweep against the Aggies (24-26, 25-27, 26-24, 25-20, 15-13) before posting a three-set triumph over the Bobcats (25-21, 25-19, 25-19) for their eighth sweep of the season.
> With the results, SDSU maintained its grip on second place in the Pac-12 standings with a 7-1 record, one game behind front-runner Colorado State (8-0).
> The Aztecs' current seven-match winning streak marks the program's longest victory stretch since the Scarlet and Black crafted an unblemished 12-match run to end the 2012 regular season.
> Kendall Mairs collected her third straight Pac-12 Setter of the Week award and fourth of the season after leading the conference with an average of 11.13 assists per set last weekend (89 overall). She also contributed 24 digs (3.00 set), seven blocks, four kills and two aces. 
> SDSU recorded a season-high 19.0 team blocks against Utah State, matching its highest output since a 3-1 home victory over New Mexico on Oct. 11, 2018. Earlier that season, the Aztecs registered 20.0 team blocks vs. UTEP (Sept. 15) and Seattle (Aug. 25).
> SDSU's 19.0 team blocks were the second-highest total in the nation for a five-set match played between Oct. 12-18.
> The Aztecs logged a season-best .435 hitting percentage against Texas State, blasting 48 kills in 85 attempts with just 11 errors for its highest efficiency since posting a .438 clip (47-8-89) in a 3-0 home victory over Montana on Sept. 1, 2012.
> In addition, SDSU's .435 hitting percentage was the sixth best in the nation for a three-set match played between Oct. 12-18.
> The Aztecs have recorded a .300 hitting percentage or greater in seven matches already this season after surpassing that barrier just four times during the entire 2025 campaign.

SERIES RECORDS
> San Diego State has won five of six matches in the all-time series vs. Gonzaga dating back to 1993.
> The Aztecs own a 3-1 record against the Zags in Spokane to go with single victories in San Diego (2026) and on a neutral court (Denver, 2018).
> SDSU emerged triumphant with a sweep of Gonzaga at Peterson Gym on Oct. 10, winning by scores of 25-21, 25-19, 25-18.
> In that contest,  SDSU posted their third-highest team hitting percentage of the season, committing just seven attack errors on the day after blasting 44 kills in 95 attempts.
> On the flip side, the Scarlet and Black limited the Zags to a .061 efficiency, which marked the lowest hitting percentage for an Aztec opponent this season. Gonzaga mustered just 30 kills against 24 errors in 99 swings for the match.
> Individually, six players accounted for SDSU’s highly efficient attack, as Tessa Schouten and Layla Austin blasted 11 kills apiece, while Haylee Brown launched seven put-aways of her own, followed by Ella Schabort and Taelyn Bentley, who finished with six terminations each.
> While tying her career high with 11 kills, Schouten hit .588 on the day, committing just one error in 17 attempts, and led all players with five block assists. In addition, Schabort was spotless in 12 swings for a .500 clip, while Bentley (.385) and Brown (.300) tallied just one miscue apiece.
> The Aztecs posted back-to-back victories at the Zags' home tournament in their last two visits to Spokane in 2023 and 2024.
> In 2024, San Diego State prevailed in a five-set nail-biter (25-14, 25-14, 21-25, 18-25, 15-12). the last time it played inside Charlotte Y. Martin Centre. Defensive specialist Gianna Bender is the Aztecs' lone holdover from that match when she posted 20 digs and eight assists.

MATCH CONNECTIONS
> San Diego State junior middle blocker Tessa Schouten faced Gonzaga on four occasions during her first two collegiate seasons at Saint Mary's when the Zags and Gaels were rivals in the West Coast Conference. In those matches, Schouten posted a .425 hitting percentage and combined for 23 blocks, 22 kills, three digs and a service ace to help Saint Mary's emerge victorious in all four contests. In her first match against Gonzaga last season, Schouten set a career-high with 11 blocks, including a trio of solo stops, helping the Gaels to the road victory.
> Aztec freshman outside hitter Layla Austin and Gonzaga freshman middle blocker Lydia Fisher met three times on the prep volleyball scene in Texas during the 2025 campaign when both competed as seniors. Austin's Southlake Carroll High School team posted a 2-1 record against Fisher's Highland Park squad, including a 3-2 nail-biter on Aug. 16, 2025. In that contest, Austin led all players with 24 kills and collected 19 digs, while Fisher finished with 13 kills and two solo blocks, according to MaxPreps.
> Gonzaga junior outside hitter Claire Wagstaff is a transfer from Wyoming who faced San Diego State on two occasions during the 2025 campaign. Against the Aztecs at Peterson Gym, Wagstaff contributed eight kills, four digs and four block assists in three sets off the bench to help the Cowgirls to a 3-0 win. However, SDSU exacted a measure of revenge two weeks later at the Mountain West Championship with a three-set sweep in the first round, where Wagstaff was limited to just one kill and a pair of block assists.

SDSU IN PAC-12 RANKINGS
> Entering the fifth week of conference play, Taelyn Bentley still leads the in the Pac-12 with a .413 hitting percentage.
> In addition, Kendall Mairs finds herself among the league leaders in three categories, occupying the third spot in assists (9.79/set), while tying for eighth in service aces (0.30/set) and ranking 10th in digs (2.95/set).
> Not to be outdone, Ella Schabort (3.45/set) and Layla Austin (3.24/set) are slotted fourth and seventh in kills, respectively, while Zara Stewart ranks fifth in digs (3.48/set).
> As a team, SDSU occupies the second position in the Pac-12 in kills (13.47) and assists (12.42/set) while ranking third in hitting percentage (.229) and digs (13.73/set).
> The Aztecs boast three of the top hitting percentages in the conference thus far, including a .435 clip against Texas State, which is tied for the top spot, while their .407 efficiency at Santa Clara is slotted third. In addition, SDSU's .389 attack percentage in its first meeting with Gonzaga ranks sixth. 
> The Aztecs' 69 kills against Utah State represents the seventh-highest team total for all matches, while their 65 put-aways and 62 assists at Boise State mark the second-best figures for a four-set match in those respective categories.
> San Diego State's 57 digs against UC Davis marks the third-highest total for a three-set match this season.
> The Aztecs' 19 team blocks vs. Utah State are tied for the second-best figure in the conference.
 > Individually, Ella Schabort's .692 hitting percentage (19-1-26) at Santa Clara is tied for the highest clip in the Pac-12 thus far, 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 eighth in the league, while her 18 kills from that outing is slotted second for a three-set match.
> Not to be outdone, Kendall Mairs dished out a career-high 53 assists against Utah State, which is tied for fifth for all matches.
> Two days later, Mairs handed out 36 helpers vs. Texas State, which is tied for sixth during a three-set match.
> Elsewhere, Taelyn Bentley came up with a career-best 11 blocks against Utah State, which ranks third in the Pac-12 thus far.
> Zara Stewart has recorded the third-highest dig-total in the league for a four-set match with 21 scoops against IU Indy, while her 16 digs at Fresno State is tied for the sixth best in a three-set match.

AUSTIN AWESOME
> Freshman sensation Layla Austin has made an immediate impact in her first season with the Aztecs, ranking seventh among the Pac-12 leaders this week with an average of 3.24 kills per set.
> A former prep All-American from Southlake, Texas, Austin has led the Scarlet and Black with double-digit kills in 14 of 18 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 eighth-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 four of the Aztecs' other top 10 hitting percentages of the season (min. 12 kills), including a .500 clip vs. Oregon State (13-2-22), a .462 efficiency against Texas State (15-3-26), a .406 pace (17-4-32) at Boise State and a .400 clip (17-5-30) vs. IU Indy.
> Not to be outdone, Austin ranks third on the squad with 148 digs (2.24/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 66 sets.
> Along with Austin's elite production, SDSU has received steady contributions from middle blockers Taelyn Bentley and Tessa Schouten.
> A sophomore transfer from South Florida, Bentley leads the Pac-12 with a .413  hitting percentage and tops the squad with 56 blocks while ranking third with 116 kills (1.80/set).
> Against Utah State, the Corvallis, Oregon, native finished with career highs of 13 kills and 11 blocks for her first collegiate double-double, helping the Aztecs complete the reverse sweep.
> Earlier at the Santa Clara Mission Classic, Bentley hit a combined .727, knocking down 17 kills in just 22 attempts with one error.
> Bentley blasted 11 kills in the that tournament vs. Cal before launching 10 put-aways against Arizona in SDSU's home opener.
> A junior transfer from Saint Mary's, Schouten ranks second on the team with 55 blocks and fourth with 108 kills (1.74/set). 
> In the Aztecs' five-set thriller against Utah State, the Davis, California, native tied her season best with seven block assists.
> In a pair of SDSU sweeps vs. Oregon State and at Fresno State, Schouten matched her season high with 11 kills.
> Elsewhere, Ole Miss transfer Annabelle De Jager has appeared in 39 sets across 13 matches this season, ranking fifth on the team with 66 kills (1.69/set) while adding 41 digs (1.11/set) and 12 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 66 sets for the Scarlet and Black this year, earning a start in 11 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 82 digs for the year (1.24/set) to go with 10 setting assists and four aces. She has cracked the starting lineup in the last six matches, including home tilts with Utah State and Texas State.
> In addition, senior Haylee Brown has seen increased playing time of late, appearing in 11 of the last 13 matches, highlighted by season-high performances of 10 kills against California at the Santa Clara Mission Classic and vs. Oregon State. The Nevada transfer also contributed nine put-aways against Texas State, when she committed just one error in 16 attempts for a .500 hitting percentage.
> 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 19 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
> After dropping its first six matches to open conference play, Gonzaga (7-13, 2-6 Pac-12) has won two straight in dramatic fashion, including a five-set thriller at home over Texas State on Thursday (25-15, 21-25, 25-14, 20-25, 16-14). The Zags were perilously close to defeat after the Bobcats reached match point in the final set at 14-13. However, Gonzaga caught proverbial lightning in a bottle with three straight points on consecutive kills by junior Claire Wagstaff and another by senior Maggie Rickert to escape with the victory. Wagstaff finished with 30 points in the win after launching 25 kills to go with four service aces and two block assists. As a result, the Zags climbed into a tie for sixth place in the conference with a 2-6 mark, joining Fresno State and Utah State. Entering Saturday's clash, Gonzaga sports a 5-5 record at home, an 0-5 mark on the road and a 2-3 ledger on a neutral court. For the season, Wagstaff leads the Pac-12 in kills (4.00/set) and occupies the third spot in service aces (0.41/set) while compiling a team-high 66.0 blocks (0.83/set), including eight solo rejections. In addition, freshmen Veronica Kjaer Sorensen (2.52/set) and Megan Deveaux (2.51/set) are averaging over two put-aways per frame. Elsewhere, freshman Dani Clewis is slotted fourth in the conference in assists (8.41/set) and seventh in service aces (0.32/set), while Rickert also finds herself among the league leaders in two categories, ranking eighth in digs (3.03/set) and 10th in service aces (0.30/set). Collectively, the Zags are slotted fourth in the Pac-12 in digs (13.59/set) and service aces (1.49/set), while occupying the fifth spot in kills (12.72/set), assists (11.82/set) and hitting percentage (.218).GU is under the direction of second-year head coach JT Wenger, who spent the previous eight seasons in the same capacity at UT Arlington, where he guided the Mavericks to the 2024 Western Athletic Conference title and a berth in the NCAA Tournament. Wenger played collegiately for the UCLA men's volleyball program from 2000-04, where he was part of a Bruin program that claimed a national championship in 2000 and a national runner-up finish in 2001.

ON THE HORIZON
> Following Saturday's skirmish, San Diego State will return home for a pair matches next week when it plays host to Boise State (Oct. 29) and Washington State (Oct. 31) at Peterson Gym.

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.