Aztecs Escape with Five-Set Nail-Biter at Gonzaga

SPOKANE, Wash. – The San Diego State volleyball team needed a fifth-set rally to overcome Gonzaga’s upset bid on Friday, as the Aztecs hung on for a 3-2 triumph (25-14, 25-14, 21-25, 18-25, 15-12) in their opening match of the Gonzaga Invitational at Charlotte Y. Martin Centre.

With the decision, SDSU won its third straight, improving to 7-2 on the year, while Zags (1-8) dropped their eighth in a row after a season-opening victory.

Still, Gonzaga gave the short-handed Aztecs all they could handle, erasing a two-set deficit to tie the match before building a 9-5 advantage in the fifth and deciding frame. Down to one setter and missing its starting outside hitter (Madison Corf), SDSU displayed its resiliency with a 10-3 closing run to prevail in a hostile environment.

Jasmine Davis and Natalie Hughes fueled the outburst with two kills apiece down the stretch, while Shea Rubright provided a solo block. In addition, the Aztecs were the beneficiaries of two costly service errors by Gonzaga, which also committed an errant attack to give the visitors the clinching point.

Taylor Underwood led all players with 17 kills, one short of a season high, to go with four block assists. In addition, Davis logged her first double-double in a Scarlet and Black uniform with 11 put-aways of her own while contributing 15 digs.

Not to be outdone, Rubright hit .500 for the night, blasting eight put-aways without an error in 16 attempts to go with six blocks, including three solo stops.

Elsewhere, Cara Braun launched eight kills as well, while Sarena Gonzalez finished with a career-high 32 assists after Andrea Campos (12 assists) was sidelined in the third set.

The Aztec cause was also aided by Kat Cooper (.312), who racked up seven kills and four block assists, while Gianna Bender scooped up a career-high 20 digs.

Despite a 16-7 deficiency in service aces, SDSU maintained the statistical advantage in kills (58-52), team blocks (12.0 to 4.0) and digs (69-65) to help eke out the victory.

The Aztecs dominated the first two sets, posting a combined .404 hitting percentage with 23 kills against four errors in 47 attempts, while Gonzaga was limited to a .125 clip in that span.

After five early ties in the opening stanza, SDSU went ahead to stay at 11-9 following a pair of Bulldog attack errors. Gonzaga twice trimmed the margin to one following kills by Taylor Walsh and Raechelle Dykstra sandwiched around an Aztec put-away by Davis.

However, the Scarlet and Black unleashed a timely 13-3 blitz to capture the set going away. Braun sparked the run with three kills in that stretch, while Underwood and Rubright joined forces on a pair of blocks, before Campos and Keira Herron each served up an ace.

SDSU logged its highest hitting percentage of the match in the second frame, recording a .429 efficiency on 14 kills with 2 errors on 29 swings. The Aztecs spread the wealth during the set, with Davis knocking down four kills, while Cooper, Underwood and Rubright collected three apiece.

Two kills by Cooper and a Rubright service ace ignited a 6-0 outburst, breaking a 4-4 deadlock, and Gonzaga never threatened again.

The Zags flipped the script in the third stanza, serving up five aces while possessing the upper hand in kills (15-14) to help extend the match. Underwood provided much of the offensive punch for the Scarlet and Black with six kills in the set, while Braun, Hughes and Cooper each floored two shots.

The teams combined for six ties before the Aztecs built a trio of late two-point leads, including a 21-19 spread following a Braun put-away. However, Gonzaga closed with six straight points to escape. SDSU self-destructed with three attack errors in that span, while Maggie Rickert and Autumn Larson both provided kills before Maddie Cugino served up an ace.

The two sides traded punches early in the fourth set before the Zags gave themselves some separation with a pair of six-point leads, including a 17-11 margin following another Cugino ace.

The Aztecs whittled the deficit to 18-16 thanks in part to Braun’s kill and a joint block with Cooper, while Underwood launched another returnable.

However, Gonzaga kept the visitors at bay with a 7-2 run to clinch the frame. SDSU was plagued by two late service errors and a pair of wayward attacks, while Dykstra provided two kills for the host school.

The weary Aztecs found themselves on the wrong side of a 9-5 score in the final frame, as Rickert emerged as a one-person wrecking crew for the Zags with four kills and two aces.

The stage was soon set for a dramatic finish, as the Scarlet and Black fought itself off the proverbial ropes with consecutive kills by Braun, Cooper and Hughes, prompting the first of two Gonzaga timeouts, which ultimately proved fruitless.

Dykstra led the Zags with 13 kills and completed a double-double thanks to12 digs, while Hayley Ogden (12) and Larson (11) both surpassed the double-digit plateau in put-aways. Additionally, Nia Damuni logged a double-double of her own with a match-high 45 assists to go with 12 scoops, while Cugino led all players with 21 digs in the loss.

SDSU wraps up its non-conference slate on Saturday when it faces Eastern Washington in a neutral-site clash, beginning at noon PT inside Gonzaga’s Martin Centre.