San Diego State volleyball (12-10, 7-4 Mountain West) was defeated 3-1 by the Utah State Aggies (14-7, 11-0 MW) at Peterson Gym on Thursday night. The loss marks the Aztecs’ fourth defeat in their last five matches — an unfortunate regression following the squad’s 6-0 conference start.
To make matters worse, SDSU is without its top middle blocker, junior Amber Keen. The 6-foot-4-inch standout was leading the Aztecs in blocks this season before tearing her meniscus in Las Vegas against UNLV. Keen is out for the year, and the Aztecs are 1-3 since her injury.
Despite the cold streak and tough injury luck, there’s reason to believe they can get back on track. Two of SDSU’s four losses have come against the conference-leading Aggies. In those matches, they still managed to take three combined sets. The standard has been set — now it’s up to the Aztecs to elevate their level.
“[It’s] hard to beat a good team three times,” head coach Brent Hilliard said regarding a potential playoff matchup with Utah State. “I think we’re a good team, so it will be hard for them to beat us [a third time].”
Along with Hilliard’s expectation of a stronger postseason performance, SDSU has two star freshmen continuing to make strides.
Libero Zara Stewart and setter Kendall Mairs were both bright spots in Thursday night’s loss, with Stewart leading the team in digs (11) and Mairs leading in assists (24). Their continued growth has been eye-opening and shows how much this team can improve as the season progresses.
“I think anybody that’s watched our matches feels like those two may be the best players on our team,” Hilliard said. “It’s so rewarding to finally have two freshmen that are owning and dominating their positions.”
The Aztecs had a reliable attack throughout, finishing with a 57-51 advantage in kills. Mairs’ 24 assists, along with 20 from senior setter Sarena Gonzalez, helped put their hitters in great positions. This resulted in a 52-47 assist advantage for the Aztecs in the match.
SDSU also held a notable advantage in digs, finishing with 44 on the night, including 11 from Stewart. She discussed her mindset as a first-year starter.
“I just take advantage of the privilege to be starting as a freshman,” Stewart said. “I come in with the mentality that I’m going to dig every ball, or at least touch every ball.”
The fall back to Earth after a strong start hasn’t been easy, but the Aztecs remain focused on the future and on continuing their solid overall season. That mentality is echoed by senior outside hitter Taylor Underwood, a steady presence on and off the court. She finished with a team-high 15 kills against the Aggies.
“We’re always looking ahead; we don’t want to look behind,” Underwood explained. “We’re going to focus on what we can control.”
That perseverance will be tested on Saturday, Nov. 1, when SDSU takes on Boise State at Peterson Gym for a 12 p.m. matchup. A win would give the Aztecs a season sweep of Boise and regain some much-needed momentum.
