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Source: goaztecs.com
Photo courtesy goaztecs.com
September 14, 2019 (Phoenix) - The San Diego State volleyball team continued play at the GCU Invitational Saturday morning, outlasting a plucky Eastern Washington squad in four sets (25-16, 22-25, 28-26, 25-21) at GCU Arena on the campus of Grand Canyon University.
The Aztecs survived a pivotal third set that featured 21 ties and nine lead changes before engineering a timely 10-4 run late in the fourth frame to secure the victory. With the result, SDSU raises its record to 6-2 on the season, while the Eagles drop to 2-7 overall.
The Aztecs received double-digit kill totals from three players, including Hannah Turnlund, who blasted a match-high 16 putaways while adding 11 digs for her fourth double-double of the year. In addition, Victoria O’Sullivan powered down 12 kills, while Lexie Hamrick hit .333, launching 10 put-aways of her own while tying for match-high honors with five total blocks.
The SDSU cause was also advanced by Camryn Machado, who completed her sixth double-double of the season with 48 assists and 15 digs, while Maddie Lenn (.385) and Tamia Reeves (.375) totaled seven kills apiece. Not to be outdone, Loren Teter finished with a team-high 18 digs.
The two sides committed 24 attack errors apiece, but the Aztecs still finished with a higher hitting percentage (.224 to .151) after maintaining a 60-47 advantage in kills. SDSU also held the statistical edge in assists (53-44), digs (71-59) and total blocks (11.0-8.0).
Still, EWU gave the Scarlet and Black all it could handle after overcoming a pair of seven-point deficits to capture the second set. Trailing 18-11 after an attack error by Renata Lopez-Morales, the Eagles closed with an improbable 14-4 outburst to tie the match at one set each. Malie McClure sparked the run with four kills, while Ashlyn Blotzer combined on two blocks to go with Ana Paula Zandona’s service ace. The Aztecs hit just .075 for the frame, posting 11 kills against eight errors, including three wayward swings down the stretch.
Neither team built a lead larger than two points in the hotly contested third set. Clinging to a precarious 22-20 lead, SDSU lost three straight points thanks to the efforts of EWU’s Nicoletta Capizzi, who made a kill and then joined forces with Makenna Davis and Zandona on consecutive blocks. The two sides traded points on the next seven serves before the Aztecs received a kill from Hamrick and an Eagle attack error to escape by a 28-26 margin.
Set four was another tight affair, with the teams combining for 11 ties and three changes. SDSU found itself on the wrong side of a 17-15 before unleashing a pivotal 10-4 surge to secure the victory. The Aztecs put the ball into their own hands during their clinching run, as seven players recorded eight of the team’s kills, including Reeves, who also came through with a solo block, while Sam McGrath added a service ace.
The Eagles were paced by McClure’s 14 kills, while Ehu Keala added 10, including a pair of non-returnables to clinch the second set. In addition, Puaoolelagi Sao finished with a whopping 31 digs in the loss, while Blotzer (8 kills) tied SDSU’s Hamrick with five total blocks.
Later on Saturday night, the Aztecs dropped a 3-0 decision (19-25, 19-25, 19-25) to Grand Canyon inside GCU Arena.
Despite knocking down just two fewer kills than the host school (40-38), the Aztecs were undone by 19 attack errors, as the Lopes owned a decisive advantage in hitting percentage, .360 to .183, while maintaining the upper hand in total blocks (6.0-2.0) and digs (35-31).
Consequently, SDSU saw its two-match winning streak snapped, falling to 6-3 on the year, while GCU moves to 8-1 overall.
For the ninth consecutive outing, Victoria O’Sullivan surpassed double figures in kills, posting a team-high 11 non-returnables while hitting .280 on the night. In addition, Hannah Turnlund blasted nine kills of her own, while Lexie Hamrick totaled seven in the loss.
The Aztecs also received another steady performance from Loren Teter, who scooped up 15 digs, while Camryn Machado (22 assists) and Gabi Peoples (10 assists) split time at the setter position.
Clinging to a slim 3-2 lead early in the first set, SDSU was unable to answer a 6-0 blitz by the Lopes, who vaulted in front for good thanks in part to kills by Sarah Hagge and Melody Horton and a Kayla Matthews service ace. With an 8-3 advantage, GCU ultimately built a series of seven-point leads, including a 20-13 spread following another Horton put-away. The Aztecs could draw no closer than five the rest of the way, as the Lopes benefited from two errant attacks down the stretch.
Conversely, GCU logged just one attack error in the whole opening set, outhitting the Scarlet and Black .406 to .231 during that span.
The Aztecs found themselves in pursuit mode for the balance of the match, falling behind 5-1 early in the second stanza. Shortly thereafter, SDSU crept to within two points at 11-9 following consecutive kills by O’Sullivan and Tamia Reeves along with a rare Lopes hitting error. However, GCU kept the visitors at bay with a timely 11-3 surge. Horton and Annabelle Kubinski registered two kills apiece during that stretch, while Emma Ahem served up a pair of aces to help widen the gap to 22-12.
O’Sullivan nearly brought the Aztecs back from oblivion with four kills during a 7-0 outburst that also featured put-aways from Turnlund and Erin Gillcrist. However, the Lopes extinguished the threat with three straight points, including the clincher on a Horton service ace.
Grand Canyon also led throughout the third set, save for a pair of early ties, jumping in front for good on a Kaira Moss kill sandwiched between two San Diego State miscues. The Lopes later upped the margin to five on two occasions, including a 15-10 score after another Moss non-returnable. A GCU service error and combined block by Gillcrist and Andrea Walker gave the Aztecs a glimmer of hope, but the hosts responded with another key 7-2 run that essentially put the match out of reach.
Horton led the Lopes with a match-high 12 kills and hit .462 on the evening, while Kubinski (.467), Moss and Yeny Murillo totaled seven put-aways each.
UP NEXT
San Diego State returns home to face Long Beach State on Thursday, Sept. 19 inside Aztec Court at Peterson Gym. First serve is set for 6 p.m.
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