The San Diego State volleyball team closed its regular season with a win over Air Force. With the chapter closing, the team took a moment to reflect on their success this season.
“This is the best group I have coached since I have been here,” Hilliard said. “They are in and excited to be in the gym. They are one of the hardest working teams, and they cover all facets of what we need.”
“This season has been nothing I have ever experienced before,” middle blocker Shea Rubright said. “We had a lot of ups and downs, but we stuck together through it all, and I think that’s something very special.”
Rubright was one of five seniors who were recognized for their volleyball careers before the match. Jasmine Davis, Andrea Campos, Mikela Labno and McKenna Douglas were also celebrated alongside their family and friends.
“I don’t want the season to end,” Rubright said. “I love everybody, I love the coaches and I love San Diego.”
“I am going to miss all of them,” head coach Brent Hilliard said. “The one thing that is keeping me from the bitter part is that I have another week of volleyball with them. We are not done, and we get to travel one last time together.”
The next chapter for the Scarlet and Black’s 2024 season is the Mountain West Championship Tournament in Vegas. The team is officially locked in as the fifth seed of the tournament and will face the fourth seed, Fresno State.
SDSU is 1-1 against the Bulldogs this season. The Aztecs lost in their first encounter with the team in October but took the second meeting earlier this month. The Aztecs can expect a round-one battle as both games against the Bulldogs went to five sets.
This will be the second time the fifth-year head coach reaches the tournament. Hilliard took his team to the tournament back in 2022 where the sixth seed reached the semifinals after upsetting Colorado State. Sarena Gonzalez, Kat Cooper, Madison Corf, Labno and Douglas are the five Aztecs on the current roster that were part of the 2022 run.
For many players, this will be their first time playing in the tournament. This includes the freshman Gianna Bender, who is ready to tackle the challenge ahead with her team.
“This season has been a lot and very new coming in as a freshman, but it has been very comforting with this team,” Bender said. “It feels like I have been playing with them forever, and I think it will be like we have been there before.”
Hilliard also recognized the role of his freshmen class this season with Bender and Talea Mitchell leading the class.
“It’s great to have freshmen out on the court because you know they got the right amount of experience,” he said. “Our two freshmen had a big part in us winning and getting us to this point.”
The back-to-back sweep wins at home give the team a final overall record of 19-9 and an impressive 10-2 record at home. SDSU finished the series against Air Force this season 2-0 and earned its sixth conference sweep.
The tournament will begin Nov. 27, with round one matchups. Winners of their respective games will go on to face either the No. 1 seed Rams or the No. 2 seed Spartans. In SDSU’s case, the Aztecs will have to face the Rams if they win against the Bulldogs. The winner of the Nov. 29 games will play the next day for the championship game.
“Last year, this was the end of the road for us, so we are excited that it is not,” Hilliard said. “That’s the best part of being with this team is that we have a lot of goals left in us.
SDSU and Fresno State are set to have the first match of the tournament which is scheduled at 1 p.m.
“It has been amazing watching our team grow this season,” Bender said. “It was a great way to end it here, and to finish off with two wins and head off to Vegas with some confidence.”
