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Madison Corf leads Aztecs with 15 kills
Source: goaztecs.com
Photo courtesy goaztecs.com
November 7, 2022 (San Diego) - Behind Madison Corf’s 15 kills, the San Diego State volleyball team blanked Fresno State 3-0 (25-14, 25-23, 25-18) on Monday in a Mountain West match inside Aztec Court at Peterson Gym.
With the win, the Aztecs (8-18, 6-9 MW) complete a season sweep of the Bulldogs for the first time since 2015 and register consecutive 3-0 victories over Fresno State (7-20, 1-14 MW) in the same year for the first time since the 1996 campaign.
SDSU posted its second-best hitting percentage of the season with a .323 efficiency, maintaining a sizeable advantage in kills (44-34) and digs (43-29) to help key the whitewash.
Corf hit .667 for the match, committing just one error in 21 attempts, while Elly Schraeder equaled that pace after blasting a career-high nine put-aways on 12 swings with just one miscue while adding four blocks, including a solo stuff.
In addition, Kayla Rivera launched nine kills of her own and served up a pair of aces to go with a solo block, while Heipua Tautua’a provided ample defensive support with a match-high nine digs.
The Aztecs also received an all-round effort from Noa Miller, who contributed 26 assists, seven digs, three aces and pair of kills while sharing the setter duties with Sarena Gonzalez, who finished with eight helpers and five digs. Ellie Geoghegan also got into the act with a collegiate-best four service aces, finishing with seven digs and six assists as well.
SDSU set the tone with its consistent attack in the opening set, compiling a .321 hitting percentage on 12 kills against three errors in 28 attempts. Individually, Corf powered down six of her kills in the frame, while Rivera and Schraeder floored two shots apiece.
Nursing a slim 8-7 lead, the Aztecs broke open the set with a 15-3 blitz, highlighted by three Corf put-aways, two aces apiece by Miller and Geoghegan, as well as a combined block by Schraeder and Kat Cooper. Fresno State scored four straight points on a pair of kills by Ella Rud, who also joined forces with Grace Doyle on a block. However, the rally came too little, too late, as Corf launched consecutive non-returnables for the clinching points.
The teams battled through seven ties and three lead changes in the second stanza, where SDSU registered a .316 efficiency on 18 kills against six errors in 38 swings. Once again, Corf led the Aztec charge with a spotless 7-for-7 performance on her attack attempts, while Schraeder and Rivera collected three kills apiece in the set.
Nevertheless, SDSU found itself on the wrong side of a 12-7 score after Rud served up an ace. The Aztecs fought themselves off the proverbial ropes with a timely 11-3 outburst to grab an 18-15 lead. Rivera fueled the run with three put-aways in that span, while Corf floored two straight shots following service aces by Geoghegan and Tautua’a.
The Bulldogs forged a pair of ties down the stretch, including a 22-22 deadlock following a Doyle solo stop. Consecutive kills by Schraeder and Corf gave the Scarlet and Black some breathing room, but a put-away by Olivia Keller prompted an Aztec timeout. Following the break, Fresno State launched an errant serve, allowing the hosts to escape.
SDSU recorded its best efficiency of the night with a .333 clip in the third set, blasting 14 kills on 30 attempts with just two errors. Despite hold a slim 14-13 advantage in put-aways for the frame, the Aztecs kept the visitors at bay with three aces while holding the edge in team blocks (3.0 to 2.0).
Kills by Corf and Tautua’a sandwiched around a Bulldog attack error broke a 5-5 tie to put the Scarlet and Black in front for good. Shortly thereafter, Schraeder combined with Tautua’a and Cooper on consecutive blocks to give SDSU an 11-6 lead.
Fresno State twice narrowed the gap to two, including a 12-10 spread following a Rud kill. However, the Aztecs met the challenge with aplomb, benefiting from a Bulldog service error, while Rivera floored a shot and Schraeder came up with a solo block to ignite a 13-8 run to secure the sweep.
Schraeder blasted three additional kills down the stretch, while Geoghegan served up an ace for the clinching point.
Rud collected 16 of Fresno State’s 34 kills on the night, while Olivia Keller notched the team’s next highest total with five put-aways. In addition, Brooke Cowie posted team highs of 22 assists and eight digs in the loss.
San Diego State closes out the home portion of its 2022 schedule on Thursday, Nov. 10 when it plays host to UNLV, starting at 7 p.m. The Aztecs will hold a special ceremony as part of Senior Night festivities prior to their clash with the Rebels.
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