San Diego State women’s volleyball lost 3-0 against Arizona to close out the SDSU/USD Invitational on Sept. 7 at Peterson Gym.
SDSU now sits at an overall record of 4-2.
The Aztecs stormed back from two sets down to stun West Virginia on Sept. 6 before defeating Arkansas the next morning, ending their weekend with two wins and a loss.
The Aztecs could have easily used the “out of gas” excuse entering their matchup against the Wildcats, but players and coaches alike refused that angle.
SDSU senior middle blocker Tamia Reeves finished the night with eight kills and one block.
The Texas native said her team prepared well for the physical toll the team took during the weekend.
“It’s definitely hard to recover from having a late game, then a morning game, then going into another late game,” Reeves said. “I don’t think we were gassed; it was just a long day, but that’s not what our play showed. I think we still played hard.”
Head coach Deitre Collins-Parker credited her team’s preparation for being able to compete with a team like Arizona.
“We are prepared physically to handle this type of load, but we don’t see (Arizona) everyday,” Collins-Parker said. “We feel like we could’ve played better, and I thought at times we did a good job of hanging with a team, but we’re hanging with a team that’s playing at a higher level on a daily basis than us.”
Sophomore outside hitter Victoria O’Sullivan finished with a combined 29 kills on Saturday.
O’Sullivan said the team’s mental toughness was a reason for their success.
“We find strength in each other, so coming together in huddles, huddling together in timeouts, and looking at each and everyone and remembering why we play,” O’Sullivan said.
Collins-Parker was proud of her team’s fight and praised them after the match concluded.
“(Playing) neck-and-neck with them for as many points as we did are huge strides for us and the program,” Collins-Parker said.
The Aztecs will battle UC Riverside in Phoenix on Sept. 13 in the team’s first game of the GCU Invitational.
