Andrew Huse / Staff Photographer

Tuesday night was an evening of “almosts” for the San Diego State volleyball team.

Almost a comeback. Almost a dramatic victory. Almost a signature win against a cross-town rival.

Facing off against No. 15 USD, SDSU let more than a few opportunities slip through its hands in a 3-1 loss at the Jenny Craig Pavilion.

“When you’re playing such a good team, you have to capitalize on every chance you get,” head coach Mark Warner said. “Overall we played pretty well, but in the end we just had too many missed opportunities.”

The final score reflected the Aztecs’ inconsistency. They were unable to keep a steady offensive attack in the 30-22, 30-32, 30-18, 32-30 defeat.

SDSU has lost two in a row for the first time all season, dropping to 9-4, while USD improves to 8-4.

“This was a big game for us and the girls knew that,” Warner said. “But sometimes you can get too set on winning the match (and) forget about the fundamentals you need to actually do it.”

Emotions were running high as the Aztecs responded to a sound defeat in the first frame with a dramatic comeback at the end of the second, which changed the pace of the entire night.

In the third frame, SDSU was once again decisively beaten despite playing some of their best volleyball of the year, according to Warner. In the fourth frame, the Aztecs held it tight throughout and even forced two extra sets before falling just short of forcing a fifth game.

The hotly contested match had its share of highlights as sophomore Stephanie Darnall led the Aztecs with 14 kills, adding 14 digs and three service aces while notching her seventh double-double of the season. Freshman Lauren Salisbury continued her strong first year with eight kills and six blocks, while senior libero Aime Cordeiro finished with 30 digs and now sits just 18 away from the all-time school record.

SDSU looks to snap its two-game skid against UNLV as it resumes Mountain West Conference play at 7 p.m. tomorrow in Peterson Gym. The Aztecs will aim to avenge a 3-0 loss in the home-season finale last year to the Rebels.

UNLV will come to Montezuma Mesa looking to improve a 10-1 overall record and maintain its’ perfect 2-0 conference record.