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Victoria O’Sullivan powers Aztecs with career-high 22 kills to lead all players
Source: goaztecs.com
Photo courtesy goaztecs.com
October 14, 2021 (Boise) - San Diego State’s Victoria O’Sullivan tied her career best with 22 kills on Thursday, propelling the Aztec volleyball team to an inspiring 3-0 sweep over Boise State (25-23, 25-20, 25-18) in a Mountain West showdown at Bronco Gym.
In addition to her match-high kills, O’Sullivan led all players with a season-best .545 hitting percentage, while Heipua Tautua’a launched 11 put-aways of her own, helping the Aztecs (6-13, 3-4 MW) snap a two-match losing streak and defeat Boise State on the road in consecutive seasons for the first time ever.
SDSU also received considerable contributions from Jordyn Goldsmith, who tied her season-high with nine kills and hit .467 for the night, as well as Zoi Faki, who totaled seven kills and eight digs.
Elsewhere, Noa Miller (22 assists) and Ashley Vanderpan (19 assists) split the setting responsibilities, with the latter serving up two aces, while Natalie Smith scooped up a match-high nine digs to anchor the Aztec back row. O’Sullivan and Andrea Walker also excelled at the net, finishing with three block assists each.
The Broncos (14-5, 3-4 MW) entered the match ranked fifth nationally with 188 total blocks, but SDSU was not intimidated, as the Scarlet and Black hit at a .400 clip, marking its highest efficiency since a .410 performance in a home sweep of San Diego on Oct. 2, 2018. In addition, the Aztecs maintained the statistical advantage in kills (55-32) and digs (34-23) to help fuel their win.
Not to be outdone, the SDSU defense limited Boise State’s Lauren Ohlinger to eight kills after the Bronco outside hitter came into Thursday’s contest with a conference-leading 253 kills overall and a league-best average of 3.83 kills per set.
Still, the Aztecs found themselves trailing by five on two occasions in the opening set, including a 13-8 spread following an unsuccessful challenge on an attack error. However, the visitors regrouped with a vengeance, reeling off seven straight points to vault in front 15-13. O’Sullivan capped the run with three straight kills after teaming with Walker on an earlier block.
The two teams slugged it out for the remainder of the set, combining for nine ties and two additional lead changes. Facing a 23-22 deficit after a service errors, SDSU escaped with the set, thanks to O’Sullivan’s two late kills sandwiched around a Boise State attack error. In all, the Aztecs totaled 20 kills in the frame, with O’Sullivan flooring 10 shots alone, while Goldsmith blasted five non-returnables of her own.
The scoreboard was knotted at 5-5 early in the second stanza until another O’Sullivan kill and a Vanderpan service ace sparked a 6-1 run that catapulted SDSU into the lead for good. The Aztecs maintained series of five-point advantages, including a 20-15 margin following Vanderpan’s second ace of the night.
The Broncos narrowed the gap three times down to two points, closing to within 22-20 after a Jessica Donahue kill. However, SDSU withstood the challenge, benefiting from a Boise State attack error, while Goldsmith and O’Sullivan each knocked down a kill to give the Scarlet and Black a commanding 2-0 lead in sets.
After hitting .378 and .385 in the first two frames, respectively, SDSU saved its best for last, finishing strong with a .448 efficiency in the third set by blasting 17 kills on 29 swings with just four errors. O’Sullivan and Faki totaled five put-aways apiece in what proved to be the final stanza, while Tautua’a and Brooklynn Hill each served up an ace.
The Aztecs never trailed in the set, storming to an 8-0 lead, punctuated by three consecutive O’Sullivan kills. The Broncos would not go quietly, however, as the host school cut the margin to three on three occasions, including a 19-16 spread following an SDSU attack error. The Scarlet and Black once again vanquished the threat, thanks in part to Tautua’a, who powered down three kills in a decisive 6-2 closing run, while the Broncos imploded with a late ball-handling error and a wayward attack to seal their fate.
In addition to her eight kills, Ohlinger led all players with three aces, while Donahue finished with six put-aways and a match-best four block assists in the defeat.
San Diego State returns to action on Saturday, Oct. 16 when it pays a visit to Utah State for another Mountain West clash in Logan, Utah. First serve at Wayne Estes Court is set for 1 p.m. MT/noon PT.
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