POCATELLO, Idaho – San Diego State opened its 2024 campaign in style Friday with a 3-0 sweep of host Idaho State (25-22, 25-23, 25-18) in the Aztecs’ first match of the ISU Tournament at Reed Gym.
Middle blockers Amber Keen and Shea Rubright combined for 22 kills and a .543 hitting percentage to give the Scarlet and Black its second straight victory on opening day.
Keen led all players with a career-high 13 kills with three errors on 20 attempts for a .500 hitting percentage, while Rubright, a transfer from Washington State, launched nine put-aways without a miscue on 15 swings for a sparkling .600 efficiency in her Aztec debut.
Not to be outdone, the SDSU cause was aided by Taylor Underwood, who also reached double figures with 10 non-returnables of her own, while Fatimah Hall (22 assists, 7 digs) and Villanova transfer Andrea Campos (15 assists, 7 digs) shared the setting chores.
Elsewhere, UConn transfer Jasmine Davis made her first start in an Aztec uniform a memorable one, hitting .294 with six kills on 17 digs with just one error while contributing a team-high eight digs.
Collectively, SDSU held the statistical edge in most categories, including kills (42-37), hitting percentage (.291 to .190), digs (42-36) and team blocks (9.0 to 7.0)
Individually, Rubright racked up five block assists at the net, while Keen and Madison Corf finished with three rejections apiece, including a solo stop.
Despite such advantages, the Bengals gave the Aztecs all they could handle in the first two sets, as the teams combined for 13 ties and four lead changes in that span.
ISU held a slight 14-12 edge in kills during the opening frame but committed nine attack errors compared to SDSU’s five, allowing the visitors to escape.
The Bengals forged a 15-10 lead midway through the set following Jamie Streit’s solo block. However, the Aztecs flashed their mettle and ultimately flipped the script with a timely 15-7 closing surge. Underwood sparked the run with three kills, while Davis and Keen floored two shots apiece. In addition, Rubright combined with Davis and Corf on a pair of blocks, as the host school totaled five attack errors and two misguided serves down the stretch.
The two sides traded punches in the second stanza, with the Scarlet and Black maintaining a 16-13 advantage in kills during the set. However, ISU committed two fewer attack errors (7-5) and served up a pair of aces to remain within striking distance.
SDSU crafted a series of three-point leads, including a 22-19 spread following an Underwood kill, but the Bengals tied the score on consecutive put-aways by Sadie Bluth and an errant Aztec attack.
Undaunted, SDSU withstood the challenge, as Keen ignited a clutch 3-1 closing run with two kills and a solo block.
Buoyed by their good fortune, the Aztecs posted their best hitting percentage of the night with a .500 clip in the third set, knocking down 17 kills on 28 swings with just three errors. Keen (6 kills) and Rubright (7 kills) each hit .714 in the frame, combining for just one miscue in 14 attempts.
Rubright blasted four kills and joined forces with Underwood on a block during a 9-3 opening run, as ISU was unable to draw closer than four points the rest of the way.
The Bengals were paced by Bluth’s 10 kills, while Streit just missed a double-double after finishing with nine kills and a match-high 12 digs. Elsewhere, Aliyah Sopo’aga led all players with 28 assists, while Jenna Werbelow served up four aces.
SDSU will continue tournament play in Pocatello on Saturday when it faces CSUN at 1 p.m. MT/noon PT. The Matadors dropped a 3-2 nail-biter to Seattle in their season opener on Friday afternoon.