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Source: goaztecs.com
Photo courtesy goaztecs.com
September 7, 2019 (San Diego) - The San Diego State volleyball team won its second straight match via the five-set variety after defeating Arkansas (26-24, 16-25, 25-19, 17-25,15-12) Saturday afternoon as part of the SDSU/USD Invitational inside Aztec Court at Peterson Gym.
With the victory, SDSU improves to 4-1 on the season, while the Razorbacks slip to 3-3 overall. The Aztecs will wrap up their lone tournament of the year with a showdown vs. Arizona, starting at 7 p.m. PT. Earlier in the day, the Wildcats posted a 3-1 decision over West Virginia at Jenny Craig Pavilion on the campus of USD.
Victoria O’Sullivan hit .371 against Arkansas, blasting a team-high 19 kills, while Hannah Turnlund surpassed the double-digit plateau with 15 put-aways of her own. The SDSU charge was also advanced by Camryn Machado, who finished with 46 assists, six digs and three block assists, while Maddie Lenn (.375) knocked down eight kills and combined for two blocks as well. In addition, the Scarlet and Black was paced by Loren Teter’s 11-dig performance, while Lexie Hamrick totaled seven kills and four blocks in the contest.
The two sides were nearly identical in team statistics, with the Aztecs maintaining the upper hand in hitting percentage (.270 to .260), kills (61-59) and total blocks (8.0-7.0), while the Razorbacks held a slight edge in assists (58-55) and digs (43-42).
With the score knotted at 5-5 in the third frame, San Diego State gave itself some breathing room with a 7-2 surge, capped by a Machado kill on a fake pass, which put the host school in front for good at 12-7. Arkansas twice cut the margin to two, including a 15-13 following a Gracie Ryan kill, but could draw no closer.
Shortly thereafter, the Aztecs seized control thanks in large part to O’Sullivan, who smashed three straight kills to highlight an 8-4 spurt that put the Scarlet and Black in the driver’s seat at 23-17. Moments later, Turnlund closed things out with a pair of put-aways to give SDSU a 2-1 lead in sets.
Despite outhitting the Razorbacks in the third set .464 to .200, the Aztecs could not carry that momentum into the fourth stanza, as Arkansas broke open a tight 11-10 score with a 9-2 blitz to build an insurmountable 20-13 advantage. Jillian Gillen keyed the run with three kills, while Ryan added a service ace. O’Sullivan tried to spark an SDSU rally with a pair of thunderous kills, but it was too little, too late, as the visitors countered with two Maggie Cartwright non-returnables and another by Gillen.
Stung, the Aztecs raced to a 7-1 lead early in the fifth set thanks to O’Sullivan, who provided much of the damage with two kills and a pair of blocks assists alongside Hamrick and Machado, while the Razorbacks committed three additional attack errors. SDSU could not put the visitors in its rearview mirror quite yet, as Arkansas rallied to tie the score at 11-11. The Aztecs shot themselves in the foot with a trio of errant swings, while Elizabeth Pamphile posted a kill after teaming with Cartwright on a block.
However, the Aztecs stood their ground once again, closing with a 4-1 run to put the victory on ice. Turnlund and O’Sullivan supplied two kills each, with the latter throwing a change-up on the final point with a soft scoop over net that made its way to floor between the Razorback defense.
Gillen led all players with 28 kills and posted a .441 hitting percentage to go with 11 digs, while Cartwright finished with a double-double of her own on 11 kills and 10 digs in a losing effort.
San Diego State showed no ill effects from its five-set marathon against West Virginia on Friday night, forging a series of seven-point leads in the first set, including a 20-13 spread after a kill by Lenn. However, Arkansas responded with an 11-4 outburst, fueled by three Gillen put-aways and a combined block by Ellease Crumpton and Maylin Garrett.
Unfazed, the Aztecs received a kill from Hamrick, while a wayward Razorback swing allowed the Scarlet and Black to escape with the set.
After two grueling five-set matches, the San Diego State volleyball team was unable to sustain the momentum Saturday night against Arizona, dropping a 3-0 decision (10-25, 22-25, 19-25) to close out the SDSU/USD Invitational inside Aztec Court at Peterson Gym.
The Aztecs (4-2) were outhit .437 to .185 on the night while trailing in kills (46-37), digs (30-23) and total blocks (5.0-2.0).
Victoria O’Sullivan posted double-digit kills for the sixth match in a row, knocking down 10 balls to lead the Scarlet and Black, while Tamia Reeves posted a sparkling .462 attack percentage, launching eight put-aways with just two errors in 13 attempts. In addition, Maddie Lenn got into the act with seven kills of her own, while Camryn Machado dished out 32 assists.
The Wildcats cruised through the first set, committing just one error in 33 swings while logging 15 kills. Katie Smoot and Paige Whipple combined for nine of those visitor put-aways, capitalizing on seven errant SDSU attacks as well.
The Aztecs regrouped in the second stanza, however, as the two sides combined for six ties and three lead changes in a highly competitive set that featured several long rallies. SDSU engineered a 11-5 advantage thanks to three consecutive O’Sullivan kills, but a serving mishap and two straight attack errors allowed Arizona to remain in contention, along with a Smoot kill and a combined block by Julia Patterson and Shardonee Hayes.
The Aztecs tried to give themselves some separation, inching ahead 15-12 after two straight kills by Reeves and another from O’Sullivan. However, the Wildcats responded once again with four straight points, taking their first lead of the set at 16-15 following an errant SDSU attack.
The Aztecs gained the upper hand for the final time moments later on a Reeves service ace, which gave the host school an 18-17 edge, before Arizona countered with three straight points on two Patterson kills and another by Devyn Cross. SDSU drew even at 21-21 courtesy of a Wildcat hitting error, but was unable to seize control, as the Wildcats closed with a 4-1 spurt, buoyed by Hayes, who teamed with Patterson on a block before providing the clinching kill.
Stung, the Aztecs could not muster a sustained front in the third set despite forging an 8-8 tie following a kill by Lexie Hamrick. Moments later, Smoot found daylight on the floor with a shot, while Patterson followed a service ace to put Arizona in front for good. Nursing a slim 11-10 lead after a kill by SDSU’s Reeves, the Wildcats reeled off a timely 9-4 run and the Scarlet and Black never threatened again.
The Aztecs hit .478 in the set, but could not maintain Arizona’s brisk .615 pace, as the Wildcats knocked down 18 kills with just two errors in 26 attempts during that span to seal the win.
Whipple led all players with 13 kills and 11 digs, while Smoot finished with 12 put-aways of her own. In addition, Hayes hit .583 for the night (9-2-12), while Patterson tallied 35 assists
UP NEXT
San Diego State will travel to the desert next weekend when it competes in the GCU Invitational Sept. 13-14, in Phoenix, Arizona. The Aztecs will face UC Riverside on Friday before battling Eastern Washington and host Grand Canyon on Saturday.
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