Glenn Connelly / Photo Editor

In front of a large crowd, the San Diego State volleyball team looked to send off its seniors with a win against BYU on Senior Day.

SDSU battled throughout the match, but the Cougars proved to be too much in a 3-1 (25-23, 13-25, 25-22, 25-23) victory against the Aztecs on Saturday afternoon in Peterson Gym.

“It’s always tough to lose, especially when you feel like it is your last chance to prove something. But I try not to just look back on one game,” senior defensive specialist Courtney Lamphier said. “I look back on the whole season and remember all the great wins that we had.

Beating Utah on Thursday was such a high time for us and we just couldn’t carry that through on Saturday like we wanted to.”

SDSU and BYU went back and forth in the opening set. The Cougars gained the momentum toward the end in taking a 22-20 lead. Both teams traded points after that, with all three of the Aztecs’ kills coming from sophomore outside hitter Kyley Sexton. But BYU didn’t allow SDSU to get any closer and pulled off the 25-23 win.

“In game one, we just didn’t pass very well,” head coach Deitre Collins-Parker said. “So offensively we didn’t get into system.”

The Aztecs came out much stronger in the second set and its offense was a big part of that. SDSU’s attack percentage was .458 after it only hit .154 in the first set. The Aztecs quickly gained the upper hand by taking a 10-3 lead and never looked back in a decisive 25-13 victory.

“I think it’s more important that we were just passing well and playing well,” Collins-Parker said of the second set. “I don’t think I look at the score when we’re just clicking. It was just about what we were doing as a team and how we were playing.”

The third set was even closer than the first, with 15 ties and six lead changes. But with the score tied up at 22, the Cougars scored three straight points to get the 25-22 win.

While the fourth set was another close one, BYU held the slight advantage up until 13-12. The Cougars and extended their lead to 24-18. SDSU notched five straight points before BYU (15-13, 9-7 in Mountain West Conference play) secured the win with a kill by middle blocker Nicole Warner.

“We just waited too long to start really fighting,” Collins-Parker said. “We kind of got lost in that valley a little bit. And when we were coming back out, one play here or there and that set has a chance to go to us. So, I was really proud of how we fought for those last five (points).”

Sexton’s 18 kills on the day not only led the Aztecs, but matched her career high. She also set three new career bests with 17 digs, three service aces and 22 points in the contest.
SDSU (14-14, 7-9 in MWC play) will now prepare for its final game of the 2009 season against UC Santa Barbara at 6 p.m. tomorrow at the Thunderdome in Santa Barbara.