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Senior Victoria O’Sullivan leads Aztecs with 11 kills
Source: goaztecs.com
Photo courtesy goaztecs.com
October 23, 2021 (Laramie, Wyo.) - The San Diego State volleyball was unable to keep pace with a hot-hitting Wyoming squad on the road Saturday, dropping a three-set decision to the Cowgirls (26-28, 19-26, 14-25) in a Mountain West match at UniWyo Sports Complex.
The Aztecs were out-hit .411 to .194 and trailed in team blocks 8.0 to 3.0, falling to 6-16 on the year and 3-7 in conference play, while Cowgirls maintained a 47-38 advantage in kills and a 5-1 edge in service aces to raise their record to 13-9 overall and 5-5 in the MW.
SDSU was led by Victoria O’Sullivan, who tied for match-high honors with 11 kills, while Jordyn Goldsmith tied her career-best with nine put-aways of her own. In addition, Heipua Tautua’a and Andrea Walker (2 blocks) floored five shots apiece, while Noa Miller (16 assists) and Ashley Vanderpan (12 assists) shared the setting chores. The Aztecs also received a boost from Zoi Faki, who topped the squad with 11 digs.
The opening set was the closest of the three on Saturday, as the teams combined for 12 ties and three lead changes. O’Sullivan launched five non-returnables in the frame, while Goldsmith added three. SDSU nursed a trio of three-point leads, including a 12-10 advantage following a Walker kill. However, the Cowgirls responded with an 8-2 surge to vault in front 18-14. Hailey Zuroske keyed the run with a pair of kills, while Wyoming benefited from a pair of errant attacks and a double-hit ball.
The Aztecs flashed their resiliency down the stretch with an 11-6 spurt, ultimately reaching set point at 25-24 following a Cowgirl attack error. O’Sullivan blasted two clutch kills and combined with Walker on a block in that span, while Goldsmith came through with an earlier solo stop. After a timeout, Wyoming seized the momentum with a decisive 4-1 run, clinching the final points on kills by KC McMahon, Jackie McBride and Zuroske, along with an Erika Jones ace.
SDSU tried to regroup in the second stanza where it nursed a slim 9-8 advantage following a Goldsmith kill. However, the Cowgirls took the lead for good, with consecutive kills by Zuroske and McBride punctuating an 8-3 surge. Shortly thereafter, the host school stretched the margin to seven at 21-14 on a solo block by Naya Shimé, effectively putting the score out of reach.
Wyoming flipped on the afterburners in the third set, knocking down 14 kills on 18 attempts without a miscue for a blistering .778 efficiency, while the Aztecs posted 12 kills against nine errors in 24 swings for a .125 clip. O’Sullivan and Tautua’a recorded three kills apiece for the visitors, but SDSU could not keep pace.
The Aztecs trailed just 8-7 after a Goldsmith kill; however, the Cowgirls broke the score open with a 17-7 blitz to close out the match. SDSU stumbled down the stretch with eight attack errors, while Shimé notched three kills for the hosts in that span.
San Diego State returns to the court next week for a pair of home matches, battling Utah State on Thursday, Oct. 28 before entertaining Boise State on Saturday, Oct. 30. The Aztecs-Aggies clash is set to begin at 7 p.m., while SDSU’s encounter with the Broncos is slated for a 1 p.m. start.
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