SDSU VOLLEYBALL RALLIES FOR FIVE-SET WIN AGAINST SEATTLE U

Deja Harris set a new career-high with 12 block assists

Source:  goaztecs.com

Photo courtesy goaztecs.com

August 25, 2018 (San Diego) - The San Diego State volleyball team evened its 2018 record to 1-1 after overcoming a 2-1 deficit against Seattle U to defeat Redhawks in five sets (26-24, 25-27, 21-25, 25-23, 15-12) at Peterson Gym during the 2018 Aztec Invitational.

SDSU jumped out to a 1-0 lead after taking a tightly-contested first set, 26-24. Hannah Turnlund led the Aztecs with six kills on just nine attempts in the set, while Delaney Taylor set up the Aztec offense for a .351 hitting percentage with 13 assists in the game. After the Redhawks tied the match at 24-24 with a Victoria O’Sullivan attack error, O’Sullivan rebounded nicely with her third kill of the match providing the Aztecs with a 25-24 lead. SDSU ultimately claimed the set after Seattle U’s Eve Kerschenbaum recorded a game-ending attack error.

Seattle claimed a 2-1 lead by holding the Aztecs to an uncharacteristic .139 and .143 hitting percentage in the second and third sets, respectively. The Aztecs were quick to make a move towards forcing a fifth set, however, jumping out to a 14-5 lead in the fourth set after the first of three Ashlynn Dunbar service aces in the set. The Redhawks ultimately clawed its way back into the game, tying things at 17-17 after a Turnlund attack error, but the Aztecs were able to close the set strong with a kill by Taylor and a Seattle U attack error bringing the set to its final, 25-23. In addition to Dunbar’s three aces and three kills, the fourth-set Aztec offense was led by Turnlund (four kills) and Deja Harris (three kills). 

Dunbar continued her red-hot stretch late in the match, as her first kill of the fifth set cut Seattle U’s early fifth-set lead to 5-4. After Seattle U grew its lead to 6-4 after a Julia Queiroz kill, SDSU clawed its way back into the lead after Deja Harris’ 15^th kill of the match gave SDSU a 10-9 lead. SDSU went on to score three of the next four points to gain a 13-10 advantage before Dunbar ultimately provided SDSU with its final two points with a pair of kills set up by Taylor.

Turnlund led SDSU with 16 kills in the match, with Harris and Dunbar sitting just behind with 15 and 14, respectively. Taylor finished her afternoon with 47 assists and a team-best .714 hitting percentage (5-0-7), while defensively, Sam McGrath and Lauren Lee each contributed 16 digs and Harris set a new career-high with 12 block assists.

SDSU outhit Seattle U, .208 - .160 and dominated the battle at the net, out-blocking the Redhawks 20-9.

NOTES

• Today marks the first time in SDSU history that the Aztecs have started a season with back-to-back five-set matches.
• Deja Harris moved to 10^th in the SDSU record book after bringing her career block assist total to 352. Harris’ career total is the most by an Aztec since Andrea Hannasch logged 471 over her four-year career from 2009-12.
• Deja Harris’ 12 block assists set a new career-high for the senior and were the most by an Aztec in a five-set match since Renate Busch recorded a school-record (for a five-set match) 13 against UC Santa Barbara on Sept. 15, 1979.
• San Diego State’s 38 total block assists were just three shy of tying the school record in a five-set match and the most since SDSU posted a school-record 41 against Santa Clara on September 5, 2003.
• San Diego State stays undefeated against Seattle U, improving to 4-0 against the Redhawks in the all-time series.
• SDSU improves to 9-3 in its last 12 five-set matches.
• The Aztecs have not lost in five sets in back-to-back matches since September 8-9, 2006, (at Oregon & at Oregon State, respectively).
• San Diego State has outhit its opponents in each of its first two matches of the season. Since the Aztecs joined the Mountain West, the Aztecs have not suffered back-to-back losses when outhitting its opponents in both matches.

UP NEXT

San Diego State wraps up the 2018 Aztec Invitational later this evening, hosting Portland for a 7:00 p.m. contest featured on the Mountain West Network.

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