LAS VEGAS It is a cardinal rule in volleyball. If your middle blockers play well, your team usually plays well. Ask any coach. They will tell you the middle blockers are one of the most important parts of the game.

Despite losing to Brigham Young in the semifinals of the Western Athletic Conference Volleyball Tournament on Friday, the middle blockers for the San Diego State women’s volleyball team stood out, in particular Nicole Curtis and Carrie Mapes.

Curtis, a freshman from USD High School, had not seen much action during the Aztecs’ final regular season stretch run, but she made the most of her opportunity during SDSU’s match against BYU.

She was a wall for the SDSU defense, blocking would-be Cougar offensive attacks and withstanding the punishment of the BYU front line. In all, she contributed 12 blocks to the defense, a team high, as well as eight kills on the evening.

Mapes, a junior from Fremont, Calif., doesn’t like BYU. Whenever the Cougars were mentioned to her before the match, a stern look of hatred appeared on her face. After Friday’s match, the word “BYU” out of somebody’s mouth may find that person on the floor in pain.

“The rivalry is just really intense,” Mapes said. “I just really don’t like BYU.”

Her unofficial job of the night was to cover BYU outside hitter Gail Oborn-Johnson like a coat of paint. With paintbrush in one hand and paint bucket in the other, Mapes meticulously went to work, shutting down every opportunity Johnson had at a point.

It took Johnson nearly three sets before she was able to get something past Mapes, and even then she wasn’t a real factor in the match until the very end.

Mapes, however, played like a person possessed for the entire match. She was all over the court, making plays left and right, taking charge of every opportunity she was given.

By the time the final point was scored, Mapes had finished with 14 kills, two behind a season and career high of 16, as well as five digs, three blocks and three assists.

Is it a coincidence that Mapes has had her best games this season against BYU? In her previous two meetings with the Cougars this year, she recorded eight and 14 kills, as well as six digs in each match.

Despite what she says, there is a glimmer in her eyes when BYU is mentioned, and she does rise to the occasion whenever the Cougars are the opponent.

“I didn’t even realize that my stats were better against BYU,” she said.

The tremendous play by the Aztec middle blockers kept SDSU in the match. Without the standout performances of Curtis and Mapes, the Aztecs may have found themselves in bigger trouble than they anticipated.