Aztecs Prep for Two Matches This Week, Traveling to Texas State Before Hosting Colorado State

SAN DIEGO -- Victorious in 10 of its last 11 outings, the San Diego State volleyball team will split two matches between the road and home this week, traveling to Texas State before playing host to league leader Colorado State two days later.

The Aztecs will make their first-ever visit to San Marcos, Texas, on Thursday, Nov. 12, starting at 6 p.m. CT/4 p.m. PT, before locking horns with the Rams at Peterson Gym in their regular-season finale on Saturday, Nov. 14, 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.

Prior to Saturday's clash with Colorado State, SDSU will recognize its senior class, celebrating the accomplishments of Gianna Bender, Haylee Brown, Annelise Rising and Ella Schabort.

In addition, fans attending Saturday's SDSU-CSU football game at Snapdragon Stadium later in the evening will receive free admission to the Aztecs-Rams volleyball match at noon when presenting their football ticket at the Peterson Gym entrance.

OPENING SERVE
> San Diego State clinched a berth in the Pac-12 Tournament later this month after posting a 3-1 triumph over Fresno State (25-12, 25-23, 23-25, 25-19) at home last Thursday in its lone match of the week.
> Seeding is still to be determined for the four-team Pac-12 Tournament, scheduled for Nov. 24-25 in Fort Collins, Colorado.
> The Aztecs are currently slotted second in the conference standings with a 10-2 mark, two games behind front-runner Colorado State (13-0). By virtue of their 8-0 record in the first half of the league's schedule, the Rams will host the Pac-12 Tournament.
> Against Fresno State, SDSU featured the three-pronged attack of Layla Austin (14), Ella Schabort (11) and Tessa Schouten (10), who combined for 35 of the team’s 48 kills to help complete the season sweep of the Bulldogs and extend its winning streak to six straight in the head-to-head series.
> In addition, the Aztecs received a match-high 16 digs from Zara Stewart to help limit Fresno State to a .067 hitting percentage, marking the second-lowest efficiency by an SDSU opponent this 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 emerged victorious in their first-ever meeting with Texas State earlier this season with a 3-0 sweep (25-21, 25-19, 25-19) at Peterson Gym on Oct. 17.
> In that match, SDSU posted a .435 hitting percentage, marking its highest efficiency as a team since recording a .438 clip in a home sweep of Montana on Sept. 1, 2012.
> 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, while Taelyn Bentley (6 kills, 3 block assists) and Tessa Schouten (5 kills), who both hit .556 for the match.
> Colorado State owns a sizable 55-19 advantage in the all-times series, including a four-set triumph in the inaugural Pac-12 match for both programs on Sept. 24, 2026, in Fort Collins, Colorado.
> After posting their best hitting percentage of the night (.263) in the opening frame, the Aztecs (5-6, 0-1 Pac-12) hit just .076 over the final three sets, finishing with a .126 overall efficiency.
> In addition, SDSU was undone by 19 unforced attack errors, compared to eight for CSU, despite maintaining a 55-41 advantage in digs and knocking down one less kill than the Rams (52-51).
> Ella Schabort tied for match-high honors with 13 kills, while Layla Austin surpassed the double-digit plateau after launching 11put-aways of her own.

MATCH CONNECTIONS
> San Diego State defensive specialist Rylie Sengdara and Texas State outside hitter Ameena Campbell were teammates at Cal State Fullerton in 2024. Campbell was a sophomore on that Titan squad, while Sengdara was a freshman.
> Aztec middle blocker Tessa Schouten faced Texas State setter Dylan Gilkey faced each other during the 2024 campaign when both players were at their previous schools. As a freshman at Saint Mary's in 2024, Schouten's team recorded a 3-1 victory over Pacific, where Gilkey was a sophomore. In that match, Schouten posted six kills and seven blocks, including a solo stop, while Gilkey finished with eight assists, three digs and one service ace.
> SDSU setter Logan Cary and Colorado State middle blocker Olivia Ewing, both freshmen this season, twice met on the prep scene in Colorado. Ewing's Fossil Ridge High School team was victorious over Cary's Rock Canyon squad on both occasions to open the 2024 and 2025 campaigns, according to MaxPreps.
> Similarly, SDSU freshman Layla Austin and CSU sophomore Halle Jameson squared off as high school players in Texas. As a prep junior, Jameson's Rockwall High team defeated Southlake Carroll, 2-1, on Aug. 25, 2023, when Austin was a sophomore. According to MaxPreps, Austin finished with 15 kills, nine digs and one block assist in that contest, while Jameson totaled seven kills, two digs and a solo block.

NO PLACE LIKE HOME
> Since the beginning of the 2009 campaign, Aztecs have amassed a 140-95 (.596) 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 owns a 6-2 record at home this season, with one remaining regular-season contest at Peterson Gym vs. Colorado State (Nov. 14).

SDSU IN PAC-12 RANKINGS
> As of Nov. 10, Taelyn Bentley still leads the in the Pac-12 with a .409 hitting percentage for all matches.
> In addition, Zara Stewart has climbed to second in the Pac-12 rankings in digs (3.60/set), while Ella Schabort (3.49/set) and Layla Austin (3.35/set) are slotted fifth and sixth in kills, respectively.
> Elsewhere, Kendall Mairs finds herself among the conference leaders in three categories, ranking third in assists (9.98/set), ninth in service aces (0.30/set) and 10th in digs (2.98/set).
> As a team, SDSU leads the league for all matches in assists (12.48/set) while ranking second in kills (13.43/set), hitting percentage (.233) and digs (13.88/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 is tied for seventh. 
> 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 Pac-12.
> The Aztecs' 57 digs against UC Davis are also tied for the fourth-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 tied for the most in 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 third 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 sixth 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.
> Through 12 conference matches this season. San Diego State leads the Pac-12 in kills (13.98/set), assists (12.93/set) while ranking second in hitting percentage (.257) and opponent efficiency (.178).
> In addition, the Aztecs are slotted fifth in both digs (13.33/set) and service aces (1.28/set) during conference play and sixth in blocks (2.19/set).
>  Individually, Kendall Mairs leads the Pac-12 in assists (10.91/set) against league foes, while Tessa Schouten ranks second with a.444 hitting percentage, followed closely by Taelyn Bentley (.443), who also occupies the sixth spot in blocks (1.18/set).

ODDS AND ENDS
> The Aztecs have held 21 of 22 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 11-1 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 14 of 15 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 10 matches already, posting a 9-1 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 15-2 this season when blasting more kills than opponents, compared to a 12-6 mark last year.

SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
> Texas State (8-16, 3-10 Pac-12) snapped its seven-match losing streak with a dramatic 3-2 victory over Fresno State on Nov. 7 (25-23, 22-25, 23-25, 25-22, 16-14). The teams combined for 10 ties and six lead changes in the fifth set alone before the Bobcats used a 4-1 run to overcome a 13-12 deficit and escape with the win. Consequently, Texas State moved into a tie for seventh place in the conference standings, raising its record to 4-5 at home for the season while maintaining a 2-7 mark on the road and a 2-4 ledger in neutral-site contests. Entering the week, senior Brooke Bentke leads the team with 2.82 kills per set, while sophomore Peyton McKee (2.58/set), fifth-year senior India Bennett (2.18/set) and senior Caelyn Robel (2.13/set) are also averaging two put-aways per frame. Bennett ranks fifth in the Pac-12 with a .326 hitting percentage and is slotted eighth in blocks (0.99/set), while redshirt freshman Ashley Euston (0.95/set) is tied for 10th in that latter category. In addition, junior Anna Blaine (6.91/set) and senior Dylan Gilkey (6.36/set) share the Bobcats' setting chores, occupying the sixth and seventh spots in assists, respectively, while fifth-year senior Jasmine Purakal ranks eighth in digs (3.02/set). As a team, Texas State finds itself in the bottom half of the Pac-12 in most categories, ranking sixth in service aces (1.27) and seventh in both blocks (1.98/set) and hitting percentage (.205) while occupying the eighth spot in kills (12.02/set) and the ninth position in digs (11.68/set). The Bobcats are under the direction of seventh-year head coach Sean Huiet, who spent the previous 14 seasons as an assistant coach with the program, including one-year stint as associate head coach in 2019. A 2003 graduate of Bowling Green, Huiet played collegiately for the Falcons' club team as a libero and setter, contributing to a pair of top 25 national finishes. He was a first-team all-conference selection in 2003 after leading Bowling Green to a ninth-place standing at nationals.

> Colorado State (20-3, 13-0 Pac-12) has swept its last seven opponents, extending its winning streak to 14 straight matches after defeating Gonzaga (25-15, 25-20, 25-18) and Boise State (25-21, 25-13, 25-22) at home last week. As a result, the Rams received 51 votes in the AVCA Division I Coaches Poll on Nov. 9. CSU is 11-1 at home this season, 8-2 in true road matches and 1-0 on a neutral court. Prior to Saturday's clash with the Aztecs, the Rams will play host to Fresno State on Thursday night. Entering the week, sophomore Halle Jameson leads the team in kills (2.80/set), while freshman Ella Stowell (2.50/set), senior Eve Wilson (2.37/set) and fellow classmate Kekua Richards (2.09/set) are also averaging over two put-aways per frame. Wilson ranks second in the Pac-12 in blocks (1.432/set) while occupying the fourth spot in hitting percentage (.326). Additionally, Richards (1.425/set) and Sofia Zabjek (1.16/set) are slotted third and fifth in blocks, respectively. Along the back row, sophomore Karsyn Fetzer leads the league in digs (3.69/set), while junior setter Erin Debiec ranks second in assists (10.04/set). Elsewhere, junior Maria Brun occupies the second spot in service aces (0.38/set), while Debiec (0.32/set) is slotted sixth in that statistic. Collectively, the Rams lead the nation with 3.20 blocks per set as of Nov. 9, while ranking sixth in the country with a .146 hitting percentage. Additionally, CSU is perched atop the conference statistical rankings in hitting percentage (.249) and service aces (1.65/set) while occupying the third spot in kills (13.10/set) and the fourth position in assists (11.89/set). The Rams are under the direction of fourth-year head coach Emily Kohan, who was promoted to the position prior to the 2023 campaign after spending seven seasons as an assistant with Rams, including the final four as associate head coach. With Kohan on staff, CSU has qualified for postseason play on six occasions. 

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.