SDSU is ready square off with New Mexico and Air Force By Tim Miguel, Senior Staff WriterIf the San Diego State women’s volleyball team is going to turnthings around for a late run this season, this weekend is the besttime to start.
SDSU (1-17, 1-4) will be competing in the friendly confines ofPeterson Gym for the next two weeks. After those matches, the Aztecsplay two more times on their home court. With three trips to Coloradoleft on the schedule, including the Mountain West ConferenceTournament, SDSU wants to take advantage of these few remaining homematches.
“We feel really good about this weekend,” junior outside hitterAshley Bowker said. “We’ve been improving every game, and playing athome this weekend and next weekend really helps us.”
This weekend, SDSU squares off against New Mexico and Air Force.The Lobos and the Falcons are at the bottom of the MWC, sandwichedbetween the Aztecs for the last three places in the conferencestandings. This weekend will be the best chance SDSU has to have itsfirst weekend sweep of the year.
“The most important thing is that we can’t let up because we’vedone that in the past,” Bowker said. “We play at a high level againstteams like Utah and BYU, but then we play down a level against teamsthat we should beat.
“We’ve been sticking with the good teams. We don’t think ofourselves as a bad team, despite what our record shows.”
New Mexico (7-9, 1-4) is led by junior outside hitter Nicole Ryan,who currently leads the Lobos in kills, averaging 3.3 per game. Ryanalso posts a hitting percentage of .229 and has 107 digs thus far.Kelly Therkelsen of the Lobos is second on the team in hittingpercentage with .212. Therkelsen is also averaging 3.02 kpg.
The only conference win of the season for New Mexico came in itslast match when it defeated Air Force.
The Falcons (4-11, 0-5) still have yet to win their firstconference match this year. Air Force will come into San Diego led byBrooke Akers and Kristin Hamlett. Akers leads the team with a hittingpercentage of .254 and is averaging 2.15 kpg. Hamlett posts a hittingpercentage of .243 as well as leading her squad in kills, averaging3.53 kpg.
The Aztecs hope to keep these players in check and get two winsout of this weekend.
“It’s not about our record anymore, we just want to keep gettingbetter,” Bowker said. “Before we played Wyoming we were reallystressed about getting that first win, but now we want to work moreon coming together as a team. We want to just keep improving and nottake any steps backward.”
SDSU plays against New Mexico 7 p.m. Friday in Peterson Gym andthe Falcons 7 p.m. Saturday, also in Peterson Gym.
