San Diego State Volleyball (11-6, 5-0 Mountain West) kept its conference win streak alive on Saturday night at Peterson Gym, defeating the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Rebels (8-8, 2-4 MW). The win marked the Aztecs’ sixth consecutive conference victory.
The swift, three-set sweep (25-21, 27-25, 25-21) keeps the Aztecs atop the Mountain West standings alongside 5-0 Utah State. SDSU’s dominant start to the 2025 season has been an awakening for a program that has struggled through much of its history.
Not only is the 6-0 conference start the best in school history, but it doubles their previous record of three wins to open conference play. Head coach Brent Hilliard is building a Mountain West powerhouse, and that vision is starting to take shape in 2025.
“We’re headed in the right direction,” said Hilliard. “The production’s better each year, and that’s all you can ask for.”
Standing in the way of the Aztecs’ perfect start was a scrappy UNLV team that refused to go down quietly. Despite the straight-sets result, the Rebels held leads in each frame and pushed the Aztecs throughout the night.
The first set was a back-and-forth battle that set the tone for the rest of the match. Outside hitter Taylor Underwood got things started for the Aztecs, recording a block and a kill for the first two points.
UNLV quickly answered, using its energy to keep things close. The Rebels were loud and animated all match, screaming during Aztec serves, chanting after points and celebrating passionately.
Ultimately, SDSU prevailed. With the score tied at 14, the Aztecs closed on an 11–7 run, led by two huge kills and an ace from outside hitter Madison Korf.
“We just played our game,” said Hilliard. “I’m hoping our girls can develop a more competitive mentality and use teams that come in like that to their advantage.”
The Aztecs showed that mentality with an incredible comeback in set two.
Led by huge blocks and constant energy, UNLV found itself one point away from winning the set. Up 24-19, the Rebels completely collapsed. SDSU won the next five points off a string of UNLV mistakes: Missed serve, net violation, missed block off the antenna, unsuccessful challenge on an SDSU kill, and then an ace from Aztec server Ella Schabort to tie it at 24.
With momentum back on their side, Underwood finished the comeback with back-to-back kills, giving the Aztecs a 27-25 win and a 2-0 lead in the match.
“We go up and down all the time,” Underwood said. “In those last two points, I was just trying to stay aggressive.”
SDSU carried its momentum into the third set, jumping out to a 3-0 lead. Freshman phenom Kendall Mairs sparked the run with a three-point serving streak that included an ace.
That stretch capped off an impressive two-way performance for Mairs, who finished with a 17-assist, 17-dig double-double. Her impact on both sides of the ball has been felt all season. She leads the team with 5.24 assists per set and ranks second with 2.16 digs per set.
“Getting our hitters the best opportunity every time they go up,” Mairs said. “And for digging, being there behind our blockers—just so they know if they aren’t blocking the right ball, we’re behind them, protecting.”
Hoping to avoid the sweep, UNLV mounted one final push. Fueled by a five-block advantage, the Rebels kept the Aztecs from pulling away.
Once again, SDSU responded. Trailing 17-14, the Aztecs went on another run, this time fueled by two thunderous kills from middle blocker Amber Keen. The Scarlet and Black closed the match on an 11-4 run, sealing their 11th win of the season.
San Diego State volleyball will look to build on its historic conference start when it hosts Grand Canyon University at Peterson Gym on Thursday at 6:00 p.m.
