The San Diego State women’s volleyball team fell to the Fresno State Bulldogs in a hard-fought, five-set match at the Save Mart Center on Thursday night.
The Aztecs took the two of the first three sets with scores of 25-23, 12-25 and 25-19 before losing the final two sets with scores of 26-28 and 9-15.
In the contest, SDSU (7-11, 2-5 Mountain West Conference) had a higher output in points, kills, assists and digs than the Bulldogs (9-9, 3-4). However, only two service aces and 12 service errors hurt the Aztecs.
In the first set, despite five service errors, the Aztecs were able to overcome the miscues.
Down 23-21 late in the first set, opposite Taylor Underwood came up with back-to-back kills to tie up the score. A service ace by defensive specialist Bailey Darnell put the Aztecs in position to win, which they finished off thanks to an attack error by the Bulldogs.
Outside hitter Cara Braun and middle blocker Elly Schraedar had four kills each in the first set. Braun would finish the match with 14 kills, while Schraeder finished with six kills.
The second set was all Bulldogs. The Aztecs gave up a few points with three more service errors, as well as a net violation.
An attack error allowed Fresno State to double up the score 20-10. With the Bulldogs in position to take set two, an Aztec attack error was the final point and the Bulldogs knotted it up at one set apiece.
Set number three began with a back-and-forth rally, before the Aztecs picked up the first point off a Bulldogs attack error.
Later in the set, the Aztecs dashed off a 7-0 run. During a rally, defensive specialist McKenna Douglas hustled out of the playing field to keep the play alive, which would end in a block by Underwood.
With the Aztecs knocking on the door to take the third set, the Bulldogs made it interesting with a 3-0 run to cut the SDSU lead to 24-19. Then, Schraeder and Merk combined on a block that hit a Bulldogs player in the face to seal the third set for the Aztecs.
In the fourth set, the Aztecs had a pair of four-touch return errors. A pair of service errors and an attack error contributed to the Aztecs needing to play catch up.
Despite trailing for most of the fourth, the Aztecs tied up the score at 24-all with Underwood’s ninth kill in the set. Underwood came into the night ranked sixth in the Mountain West Conference in kills.
With a golden opportunity to take the lead, a miscommunication between two Aztecs players denied them a chance at match point.
A few plays later, the Aztecs committed a block error that allowed the Bulldogs to force a fifth set.
In the deciding fifth set, the Aztecs fell in an 11-6 hole that forced head coach Brent Hilliard to use his final timeout.
The Aztecs could not cut the lead to no more than three. With the Bulldogs at match point, the final SDSU service error of the night handed the Aztecs their third straight defeat.
Setter Fatima Hall tallied 34 assists. It was her ninth straight match recording at least 20 assists, while Douglas added 19 digs for the Scarlet and Black.
SDSU will square off against Nevada next at noon on Saturday, Oct. 14 at Virginia Street Gym.
