White-Hot Aztecs to Battle Broncos, Cougars at Home This Week

SAN DIEGO -- Winners of eight straight, the white-hot San Diego State volleyball team returns to the court for a pair of home matches this week, playing host to Boise State and Washington State at Peterson Gym.

The Aztecs will square off against the Broncos on Thursday, Oct. 29, starting at 6 p.m. PT, before battling the Cougars on Saturday, Oct. 31 at noon.

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

Free Halloween tote bags will be presented to the first 100 children on Thursday, as part of the team's Halloween Spiketacular festivities, which will also feature pregame trick-or-treating, while fans attending Saturday's SDSU-WSU football game later in the afternoon will receive free admission to the Aztecs-Cougars volleyball match at noon when presenting their football ticket at the Peterson Gym entrance.

SDSU will be looking to complete season sweeps of this week's opponents after winning in Boise and Pullman earlier this month.

OPENING SERVE
> In its lone match of the week, San Diego State extended its winning streak to eight in a row with a 3-1 triumph at Gonzaga (25-16, 16-25, 25-15, 25-22) on Oct. 24.
> The Aztecs received double-digit kills from Ella Schabort (15), Layla Austin (14) and Haylee Brown (10) to help fuel the victory.
> With the results, SDSU maintains a firm grip on second place in the Pac-12 standings with an 8-1 record, one game behind front-runner Colorado State (9-0).
> The Aztecs' current eight-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.
> 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
> The Aztecs and Broncos are tied 14-14 in the all-time series since the two programs first met in 2005. 
> After winning a neutral-site affair at the 2005 Red Raider Roundup in Lubbock, Texas, San Diego State is 6-6 vs. Boise State in San Diego and 8-8 at Bronco Gym.
> The Aztecs recorded a 3-1 victory (25-17, 19-25, 25-17, 25-16) in Boise on Oct. 1, the last time the two teams met.
> In that contest, Ella Schabort (18 kills, 14 digs), Layla Austin (17 kills, 11 digs) and Kendall Mairs (50 assists, 10 digs) each completed a double-double, while Taelyn Bentley (9 kills) hit .438 on the night after committing just two errors on 16 attempts.
> Despite trailing in team blocks (11.0 to 8.0), SDSU maintained a sizable statistical advantage in kills (65-39), hitting percentage (.278 to .178) and digs (60-44) to help the Scarlet and Black emerge triumphant at Bronco Gym for the second year in a row.
> Meanwhile, the Aztecs will be looking to duplicate their success against the Cougars after posting a three-set sweep (25-11, 25-20, 25-18) in Pullman on Oct. 3. 
> In the first-ever meeting between the two programs, SDSU maintained a 45-29 advantage in digs, limiting WSU to a .068 hitting percentage, which marked the second-lowest efficiency of the season for an Aztec opponent.
> Despite trailing in team blocks (8.0 to 4.0), the Scarlet and Black also held the statistical edge in kills (36-28) and service aces (3-1) while benefiting from 11 Cougar service errors to help key its win.
> Individually, the Aztecs were led by Ella Schabort, who led all players with 11 kills, while Layla Austin launched eight put-aways of her own, followed by Haylee Brown, who contributed six terminations of the bench.
> Saturday's match will mark WSU's first-ever visit to Peterson Gym. 

MATCH CONNECTIONS
> San Diego State sophomore setter Kendall Mairs and Boise State sophomore outside hitter Sydney Dreves faced one another as high school 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.
> Prior to the Aztecs-Cougars clash in Pullman, SDSU middle blocker Tessa Schouten faced Washington State on three previous occasions during her first two seasons with Saint Mary's when the Gaels and Cougars were rivals in the West Coast Conference. In those  three matches, Schouten hit a combined .400 with 15 kills while contributing nine blocks and four digs. 

ANATOMY OF A STREAK
> During its eight-match winning streak, the Aztecs have dropped just four sets, posting five sweeps, two 3-1 victories and a 3-2 triumph.
> In that span, SDSU has out-hit the opposition .284 to .157, logging four hitting percentages above .300, including a season-best  .435 clip against Texas State on Oct. 17, which marked the team's highest efficiency since a .438 pace against Montana in 2012. In addition, the Aztecs hit .389 against Gonzaga (Oct. 10), .345 vs. Oregon State (Oct. 8) and .316 at Fresno State (Sept. 26).
> Kendall Mairs has averaged 11.11 assists and 2.68 digs per set while collecting three straight Pac-12 Setter of the Week awards from Oct. 6-20.
> Ella Schabort (3.50/set) and Layla Austin (3.43/set) led the team in kills, with both players posting double-digit put-aways in six of eight matches.
> In addition, Tessa Schouten tops the squad with a .426 hitting percentage and shares the team lead in blocks (31) with Taelyn Bentley. Schouten also ranks third with 62 kills in that span.
> Collectively, the Aztecs have posted 70 of their 137 team blocks (51 percent) for the season during their winning streak.

NO PLACE LIKE HOME
> Since the beginning of the 2009 campaign, Aztecs have amassed a 138-94 (.595) record at home, highlighted by a 14-0 mark during the 2012 season when SDSU captured the Mountain West championship.
> In 2024, the Aztecs posted a 10-2 ledger at Peterson Gym, marking their first season with double-digit home victories since the 2017 campaign, when the Scarlet and Black went 10-5.

SDSU IN PAC-12 RANKINGS
> Despite missing last Saturday's contest at Gonzaga, Taelyn Bentley still leads the in the Pac-12 with a .413 hitting percentage for all matches.
> In addition, Kendall Mairs occupies the third spot in assists (9.83/set), while Ella Schabort (3.45/set) and Layla Austin (3.24/set) are slotted fourth and seventh in kills, respectively.
> Not to be outdone, Zara Stewart ranks fifth in digs (3.44/set) for the season.
> As a team, SDSU occupies the second position in the Pac-12 in kills (13.47) and assists (12.47/set) while ranking third in hitting percentage (.232) 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 represent the eighth-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.
> In addition, SDSU's 19 team blocks vs. Utah State are tied for the second-best figure in the conference.
> The Aztecs' 57 digs against UC Davis mark the third-highest total for a three-set match this season.
> 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 are 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 are 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.
> 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.
> In nine conference matches this season. San Diego State leads the Pac-12 in kills (14.25/set) and is tied for the top spot in assists (13.06/set) while ranking second with a .263 hitting percentage and a .177 opponent efficiency.
> In addition, the Aztecs are slotted fourth in blocks (2.31/set) and sixth digs (12.63/set) during conference play.
> Individually, Kendall Mairs leads the Pac-12 in assists (10.91/set) against league foes, while Taelyn Bentley tops the conference with a .443 hitting percentage, followed by Tessa Schouten (.407), who is slotted fourth.

ODDS AND ENDS
> The Aztecs have held 18 of 19 opponents under a .300 hitting percentage this year. SDSU allowed its lone adversary to hit over .300 when Colorado State posted a .317 efficiency on Sept. 24.
> The Aztecs are 10-1 this season when limiting the opposition under a .200 efficiency, Last year, SDSU went 9-4 when holding opponents to a hitting percentage below .200.
> The Aztecs have won 12 of 13 matches already this season when logging a greater hitting percentage. In 2025, SDSU went 12-2 in matches when finishing with a higher attack percentage for the entire year.
> San Diego State has racked up more blocks than the opposition in nine matches already, posting an 8-1 record in those encounters, compared to last year when the Aztecs out-blocked opponents in seven matches for the entire 2025 campaign (6-1).
> SDSU is 13-2 this season when blasting more kills than opponents, compared to a 12-6 mark last year.

SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
> Boise State (13-9, 5-4 Pac-12) sits in fourth place in the Pac-12 standings after splitting two matches at home last week. The Broncos swept Utah State (25-21, 25-17, 25-21) before suffering a reversal of fortune two days later against league-leading Colorado State (23-25, 13-25,  22-25. As a result, Boise State moved to 8-5 on the season in home matches while maintaining a 4-1 record on the road and a 1-3 ledger in neutral-site contests. Offensively, the Broncos are led by freshman Azlynn Tittmann, who ranks eighth in the conference with 3.10 kills per set, while sophomore Sydney Dreves (2.88/set) and senior Kendall Hastings (2.12/set) are also averaging over two terminations per frame. In addition, Hastings finds herself among the Pac-12 leaders in two categories, ranking fourth in blocks (1.32/set) and eighth in hitting percentage (.325). Along the back row, senior Melia Barlow leads the conference in digs (3.63/set) and occupies the fourth spot in service aces (0.39/set), while Tittmann is slotted ninth (0.29/set) in that latter statistic. Not to be outdone, senior Tehya Maeva ranks seventh in the conference in assists (5.78/set), sharing the setting responsibilities with freshman Jenelle Legates (4.28/set). Boise State is perched atop the Pac-12 in digs (14.78/set) and occupies the second position in service aces (1.59/set) while ranking fourth in blocks (2.28/set). In addition, the Broncos are slotted third in both kills (13.01/set) and assists (12.13/set) while occupying the sixth position in hitting percentage (.218). On the other side of the net, Boise State has limited opponents to a .192 efficiency, marking the fourth-lowest hitting percentage in the conference. Head coach Shawn Garus is in his 18th season in charge of the Bronco program, sporting a 426-338 career record and a 311-218 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.

> Entering this week's action, Washington State (9-10, 4-5 Pac-12) is slotted fifth in the conference race after splitting two home matches last weekend. The Cougars dropped a three-set decision to conference front-runner Colorado State (25-27, 11-25, 25-15) before rebounding with a 3-1 victory over Texas State (25-23, 24-26, 25-18, 25-17). With those results, WSU moved to 4-5 in home matches while maintaining a 3-4 record on the road and a 2-1 mark in neutral-site encounters. Prior to Saturday's showdown with the Aztecs, the Cougars will travel to Utah State on Thursday night. After missing five matches in late September, sophomore Eliana Ti'a has appeared in seven straight contests and has climbed into sixth place in the Pac-12 rankings with 3.28 kills per set, while senior Kryssa Moerman occupies the sixth position in the conference as well with a .329 hitting percentage. At the net, three WSU players among the league's top 10 in blocks, including senior Naomi White (1.54/set), who enters the week as the Pac-12 leader, while Moerman (1.15/set) is slotted sixth, followed by freshman Whitney Dewicki (1.02/set), who ranks eighth. Not to be outdone, junior Kambree Rodriguez occupies the third spot in the league in digs (3.60/set), while the setting duo of junior Audrey Hollis (4.99/set) and sophomore Livia Ward (4.65/set) rank ninth and 10th in assists, respectively. Hollis recently logged a triple-double with 14 kills, 14 digs and 25 assists at Boise State on Oct. 15. As a team, the Cougars occupy the second position in the conference in blocks (2.93/set), digs (13.71/set) and opponent hitting percentage (.178). However, WSU ranks just seventh in kills (12.31/set), hitting percentage (.210) and service aces (1.25/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 42-33.

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.