This past weekend was a big one for the San Diego State Volleyball team as they traveled to New Orleans, LA to compete in the Allstate Sugar Bowl Collegiate Classic. The tournaments schedule was altered, however, because of Tropical Storm Lee, which hit the south sooner than expected.
Tulane was SDSU’s first competitor on Friday night, barely defeating the Aztecs three sets to two. Head coach Deitre Collins-Parker expressed her thoughts on the team’s first loss of the season: “Tulane played very well. Defensively they were picking up everything we threw at them,” she said. “It was a great match but a tough loss. We had chances to win but couldn’t put them away.”
Although SDSU was supposed to take on William and Mary the following day, the Aztecs ended up playing them Friday night as well, because of the bad. SDSU shook off their previous loss and beat William & Mary in three sets; the first set winning 25-17, the second 25-13, and the third 25-20.
Sophomore outside hitter Raegan Shelton led the team with nine kills, while junior middle blocker Andrea Hannasch was right behind with six. Junior libero Kristi Jackels also stood out versus William and Mary with twelve digs, averaging 4.75 digs per set overall. Redshirt freshman middle blocker Oni Lattin also made her first appearance during the match, making four kills, one block, and one dig throughout the two sets she played in. Defeating William and Mary was a great way to boost the team’s spirit after the earlier loss.
“We got a chance to play more players in the second match,” Coach Collins-Parker said. “I was proud of the team for bouncing back after the loss.”
Unfortunately, the Aztecs’ third game against Southern Illinois was canceled because of the awful weather conditions. Thankfully, the girls made it back to sunny San Diego safely, still continuing the season strong with a 4-1 record. Next week SDSU will take a short break from competitive opponents and will play in its annual Alumni Game. The game will be held 5 p.m. this Saturday at SDSU’s Peterson Gym.
