Women’s volleyball falls in four sets against Colorado State, 3-1

Despite attacking performances by Corf and Labno, offensive errors plagued the Aztecs during close sets in Fort Collins

by David Rosas, Staff Writer • September 29, 2023

San Diego State’s Julia Haynie (13) rises to attempt to block a San José State player earlier this season at Aztec Court at Peterson Gym.

The San Diego State women’s volleyball team ended Thursday’s contest with a 3-1 loss against hosts Colorado State (CSU), with set scores of 21-25, 25-22, 25-17, and 25-23.

Outside hitters Madison Corf and Mikela Labno were identical in kills, leading the Aztecs with 11 each. Opposite hitter Taylor Underwood added ten kills on 27 attempts, scoring 13 points.

Setters Fatimah Hall and Sarena Gonzalez also led the Aztecs with 22 assists apiece. Defensively, McKenna Douglas led the team with 17 digs and Gonzalez added nine digs. However, offensive errors and the defensive performance by the Rams held the Aztecs to one set win.

SDSU (6-8 overall, 1-2 in Mountain West Conference) began the first set with a tough start offensively, committing four attack errors and two service errors. With the score 15-10 for Colorado State, the Aztecs went on a scoring run with seven consecutive points starting with a kill by Labno, who had three kills in the set.

Outside hitter Heipua Tautua’a recorded four of her eight kills in the first set, and defensive specialist Bailey Darnell had two service aces during the seven-point scoring streak. The Aztecs ended the set outscoring the Rams 15-6 after tying the set 15-15.

In the second set, both teams battled it out with six lead changes in the early stages, but the Rams were able to establish control once the game was tied 11-11. CSU outscored the Aztecs 14-11 the rest of the way.

The Rams (7-7 overall, 1-2 in MWC) maintained their control in the third set, not letting the Aztecs take the lead after tying it 5-5. The Aztecs committed eight attacking errors and a ball-handling error in the set.

SDSU started strong in the fourth set, taking a 7-3 lead, but the Rams battled back to take control with a 14-13 lead. Down 22-20, the Aztecs fought to keep the set close and scored the next three points. However, the Rams closed the set 25-23.

In total, the Aztecs had 53 kills on 147 attack attempts, but 25 attack errors and nine service errors made it difficult for SDSU to establish control. The Rams committed 21 attacking errors and five service errors, but had their most noticeable advantage with 11 blocks compared to SDSU’s six.

The Aztecs will continue their road trip traveling to Laramie to face Wyoming on Thursday, Sept. 30 at 6:30 p.m. for their fourth conference matchup.

About the Contributors

David Rosas, Staff Writer

Sumaia Wegner, '23-24 Managing Editor

Originally from Santa Clarita, California, Sumaia Wegner is a is a double major, studying Journalism and Communication. She started as a staff writer for The Daily Aztec, then became Arts and Culture Editor, and is now the current Managing Editor. Aside from her leadership role, Sumaia is also a reporter for the men's basketball team. Last year she covered the Mountain West Championship as well as the NCAA Championship. Sumaia is the president of the Asian American Journalists Association (SDSU Chapter) as well as the vice president of Culture and Diversity for SDSU's College of Professional Studies and Fine Arts. She started her career as a journalist while she was traveling abroad in Bangladesh, where she was a writer for The Independent newspaper. She wrote for the “Youth and Independent” section focusing on narratives that evaluated eastern and western cultures. Sumaia has received the following awards for The Daily Aztec: "The Inspirer," "Quest for Excellence," and "Best Section."