San Diego State volleyball (12-11, 7-5 Mountain West) fell short in four sets against Boise State (15-8, 7-5 MW) on Nov. 1 at Peterson Gym, despite beating the Broncos 3-1 on the road just a few days earlier.
Although the first set didn’t start out in their favor, SDSU battled back, fueled by a big serving run from freshman libero Zara Stewart. They jumped out in front, claiming their first lead of the match.
The Aztecs and the Broncos exchanged points throughout the rest of the set, and neither team seemed to have the upper hand. Ultimately, the Scarlet and Black won the first set 26-24, but couldn’t get too comfortable, as the Broncos took control in the following sets.
“We’re just trying to keep them in a good frame of mind right now, at this point in the season,” head coach Brent Hilliard said regarding the first set win. “They’ve played a lot of volleyball, and it’s just about staying engaged and gaining some momentum.”
Set two opened much like the first, with both teams exchanging points back and forth. The Aztecs and the Broncos fought tooth and nail in long rallies, one of which featured an impressive pancake from Stewart, adding to her total of 16 digs on the match.
Neither team had a distinct lead until the Aztecs grabbed two crucial kills—one from senior opposite hitter Taylor Underwood and one from senior outside hitter Madison Corf, which inched them ahead. Boise State responded by calling a timeout that worked in their favor, as they reclaimed their lead following a couple of unforced errors by the Aztecs.
From there, the Broncos didn’t look back, earning a set point at 24-17. Despite the Aztecs’ best efforts at the service line, Boise State took the second set 25-20.
“It happens, you’re gonna lose,” Underwood said about dropping the second set to the Broncos. “But can you take the angry feelings and put them back onto the court to come together with your team and still produce something?”
Set three looked more hopeful for the Aztecs until the Broncos took a decisive lead at 11-6. But SDSU wasn’t ready to give up. The Aztecs regained some momentum as redshirt sophomore outside hitter Annelise Rising came off the bench with a serving run. However, Boise State was quick to react, stealing the lead and widening the gap to 18-12.
The Aztecs’ searched for a comeback in vain, and the gym fell silent as Corf took a swing and crumpled to the ground, clutching her ankle. Corf was escorted off the court and wouldn’t return for the rest of the match. Before her injury, Corf was leading the Aztecs’ kill count with 10, so her absence would take its toll. Boise State took the third set 25-19 as the Scarlet and Black seemed shaken following Corf’s injury.
“The season has taken its toll; we’re officially running out of players,” Coach Hilliard said, discussing how Corf’s injury impacts the Aztecs’ roster. “This has been a tough year as far as physical aspects.”
The Aztecs and the Broncos traded points in the fourth set until Boise State slipped away following three big blocks. After a media timeout at 15-12, there was more back-and-forth scoring between the two teams until the Broncos ultimately came out on top with set and match victories, 25-20 and 3-1.
In hopes of getting their season back on track, the Aztecs will head back on the road to Global Credit Union Arena to take on Grand Canyon University on Nov. 6 at 5 p.m.
