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Aztecs set to play 30 matches this fall
Source: goaztecs.com
Photo courtesy goaztecs.com
July 1, 2021 (San Diego) - San Diego State volleyball head coach Brent Hilliard has unveiled the team’s highly anticipated schedule for the 2021 fall campaign, with the Aztecs set to play a full 30-match slate, including 18 Mountain West encounters and 12 non-conference affairs.
After squaring off against UC Irvine in a home exhibition on Aug. 21, SDSU heads to the Lone Star State to open its regular-season schedule at the Sam Houston Tournament, Aug. 27-28, in Huntsville, Texas. The Aztecs will lock horns with Central Arkansas and the host Bearkats on the first day of the event before closing the trip with a clash against Houston Baptist.
Upon returning to the Golden State the following weekend, SDSU will remain road warriors for the Gaucho Invitational in Santa Barbara, Sept. 3-4, opening with a single match vs. host school UCSB, followed by a pair of encounters the next day with NCAA Tournament participant Pepperdine, which finished with a No. 20 AVCA ranking last spring, as well as Big XII Conference member Kansas State.
Fans will get their first chance to see the Aztecs in regular-season action when the Scarlet and Black hosts two more perennial postseason fixtures on consecutive evenings, Sept. 10-11, to highlight the SDSU/USD Tournament. The Aztecs will battle UCLA before hosting crosstown foe USD the following night in Coach Hilliard’s first meeting against his former Torero colleagues. Both the Bruins and USD advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament last spring. UCLA finished with a No. 19 AVCA ranking, while the Toreros landed in the 21st spot nationally.
Following its brief homestand, San Diego State hits the road for a midweek match at Long Beach State on Sept. 14, before venturing to the desert for the University of Arizona Tournament, Sept. 17-18. The Aztecs open their weekend in Tucson with a twin bill against Texas Southern and the host Wildcats, followed by a matinee the next day vs. UC Riverside to wrap up the series.
After launching its Mountain West slate at Nevada (Sept. 23) and San José State (Sept. 25), respectively, San Diego State returns to The Mesa in earnest to open a four-match homestand, with the Aztecs facing New Mexico (Sept. 30), Air Force (Oct. 2), reigning conference champion UNLV (Oct. 5) and Fresno State (Oct. 7) over a seven-day span.
SDSU continues its busy October stretch with an excursion to the Mountain time zone for a pair of encounters at Boise State (Oct. 14) and Utah State (Oct. 16). During the spring campaign, the Aztecs recorded a thrilling five-set upset on the road vs. the Broncos, a team that entered that contest with four straight 3-0 sweeps.
With 18 conference matches and an unbalanced schedule, San Diego State will play each Mountain West school home and away except for Colorado State and Wyoming, whom they will face just once. Those contests mark the midway point of the conference slate, as the Aztecs host the Rams on Oct. 21 before departing for Laramie and a date with the Cowgirls on Oct. 23. In the 2021 spring finale, the Scarlet and Black snapped an 11-match losing streak to CSU dating back to 2014 with a 3-0 triumph at home.
SDSU will jet back to “America’s Finest City” for two home clashes, quickly renewing acquaintances with Utah State (Oct. 28) and Boise State (Oct. 30) before embarking on a challenging four-match road swing as the calendar flips pages. The Aztecs will add to their frequent flyer mileage when they square off against UNLV (Nov. 2), Fresno State (Nov. 6), Air Force (Nov. 11) and New Mexico (Nov. 13) in succession.
SDSU wraps up its regular-season schedule at home when it battles Nevada (Nov. 18) and San José State (Nov. 20).
The Mountain West Championship will be conducted in Las Vegas from Nov. 24-26, with the winner receiving the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The MW Championship was held from 1999-2007 and was revived for one season in 2011. The tournament was scheduled to resume in the fall of 2020 but was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
With Coach Hilliard entering his second season at the helm, San Diego State will benefit from the influx of 10 talented newcomers this fall, along with the return of five letterwinners, including all-Mountain West outside hitter Victoria O’Sullivan.
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