San Diego State volleyball (13-15, 8-9 Mountain West) lost in four sets in a crucial matchup against the San Jose State Spartans (13-15, 8-9 MW) on Thursday at Peterson Gym, as their chance at competing in the Mountain West Playoffs continues to slip away.
Thanks to an Air Force loss at Utah State, the Aztecs remain tied for sixth place in the MW standings. San Diego State’s match against Fresno State on Saturday will likely determine its postseason plans.
“I think we just need to come in with a better attitude,” senior outside hitter Madison Corf said in anticipation of Saturday’s matchup.“We need to come in wanting to have fun and wanting to be in the gym, and we just need to want to be with each other. It’s really just the chemistry.”
Corf, along with freshman opposite hitter Mila Gehlin, led the Aztecs with 12 kills each against the Spartans.
In the first set of the match, San Diego State started strong by grabbing an early 5-1 lead. As the set went on, the Aztecs held the upper hand, forcing San Jose State to call both their timeouts before the score even reached 15. Although the Spartans fought hard, SDSU stayed ahead throughout the first set, grabbing the win 25-21.
The tables were turned in the second, as the Spartans jumped out to an early lead. That is, until the score hit 8-8, when sophomore middle blocker Talea Mitchell came up with a big block to tie it.
Gehlen followed with a kill of her own, which was confirmed after head coach Brent Hilliard successfully challenged that the Spartans touched the ball before it went out. However, this moment was only a bright spot in an otherwise losing set. San Jose State regained the momentum and won the set 25-20.
After splitting the first two sets, Corf emphasized the importance of resetting her mindset before a crucial third set.
“It could go either way, the game zero-zero again, we needed to come out strong, and play like we wanted to be here,” Corf said. “Leaning on my teammates, knowing we can come back no matter how far we’re down, and having each other’s backs is so important for us.”
Set three featured a lot of back-and-forth scoring between the two teams until the Spartans pulled ahead to 13-7, prompting the Aztecs to call their first timeout of the set following several errors and Spartan kills.
As the score approached 20, things seemed to be looking up for San Diego State, which even took a small lead. But it didn’t last, as San Jose State ultimately took the set 26-24 after a rally so long, it left players on both sides of the net gasping for air. It ended with a solo block by junior opposite Natalie Hughes, but the Spartans successfully challenged the play, ruling that she had netted.
In set four, San Jose State leapt out to an early 5-1 lead, much like they did in set two. The Aztecs called their first timeout down 10-4, but the Spartans continued to pull away.
As they reached 20 points, San Jose State padded its lead with a 7-0 serving run. San Diego State fought hard at the end, but the Spartans ultimately secured the set and the match, 25-17, for a 3-1 victory.
Despite the loss, Coach Hilliard emphasized the team’s resilience through a difficult stretch of injuries.
“They’re really shorthanded and they’re doing the best they can,” Hilliard said. “It’s unfortunately just a tough time of the year for this right now.”
In hopes of securing a spot in the Mountain West Championship, the Aztecs will face the Fresno State Bulldogs back in Peterson Gym on Saturday at noon.
