SAN DIEGO -- San Diego State volleyball players Taylor Underwood and Heipua Tautua'a were both named to the all-tournament team this past weekend at the UC San Diego Invitational after helping the Aztecs to a 2-1 record.
Underwood led all SDSU players with 31 points, blasting a combined 26 kills (2.89/set) to go with five aces, five digs and one block assist while hitting .286 in three matches. In the Aztecs' sweep of Denver on Sept. 8, the sophomore opposite hitter set a career best with five service aces and tied for match-high honors with nine kills, including four put-aways in both the second and third sets. She also contributed a season-best five digs, as the Scarlet and Black improved to 3-2 in five all-time meetings vs. the Pioneers.
In the Aztecs' narrow three-set loss to Navy the following day, Underwood launched a match-high 11 kills (3.66/set), committing just three errors in 27 attempts for a .296 efficiency while adding one block assist. In the tournament opener against host UCSD on Sept. 7, the Norco, California, native hit at a .333 clip, knocking down six kills against one miscue in 15 swings, helping SDSU to a 3-0 triumph and raise its record to 15-0 all-time against the Tritons.
Meanwhile, Tautua'a totaled 20 kills (2.22/set) and 19 digs (2.11/set) at the tournament while serving up five aces of her own to go with one block assist. In the Aztecs' sweep of UCSD, the senior outside hitter finished second on the team with 13 kills and hit .333 for the match while adding three digs and a pair of aces. With the Tritons closing the gap in set three looking to extend the match, she blasted a late kill and combined with Julia Haynie on a block for the clinching point to complete the sweep.
Tautua'a followed with three kills and two more aces in the Aztecs' whitewash of Denver, serving up both winners in a 4-0 closing run that secure the second set. The Wai'ane, Hawai'i, product followed with four additional put-aways against Navy and a setting assist while tying for match-high honors with nine digs.
Underwood, Tautua'a and the rest of the Aztecs will be back in action this weekend when they return to the Pacific Northwest for the Gonzaga Tournament, Sept. 15-16, in Spokane, Washington. SDSU will battle the host Bulldogs on Friday at 6 p.m. PT, before squaring off against Eastern Washington the following day at 11 a.m.