Aztecs Set to Host New Mexico, Air Force in Final Home Matches

SAN DIEGO – The San Diego State volleyball team wraps up its 2024 regular-season schedule with a pair of home matches this week, batting New Mexico and Air Force inside Aztec Court at Peterson Gym. The Aztecs will face the Lobos on Thursday, Nov. 21, at 6 p.m. PT, before engaging the Falcons on Saturday, Nov. 23, at noon.

Along with live stats, both matches will air live on the Mountain West Network with links available on GoAztecs.com. Fans can also catch the live action on their smartphones or TVs by downloading the MW app.

Thursday’s match vs. New Mexico has been designated White Out Night and all fans are encouraged to wear white. In addition, the first 250 fans will receive a free replica jersey T-shirt.

Prior to Saturday’s clash with Air Force, the Aztecs will recognize their senior class with a special ceremony, celebrating the accomplishments of Andrea Campos, Jasmine Davis, McKenna Douglas, Mikela Labno and Shea Rubright, In addition, the first 250 spectators will receive a free rally towel.

QUICK HITS
> Despite dropping a pair of road matches last week at Nevada and Utah State, SDSU clinched a spot in the 2024 Mountain West Championship later this month in Las Vegas, Nevada, after UNLV was defeated by the same USU squad on Nov. 14.

> Currently, the Aztecs are slotted fifth in the conference standings two games behind fourth-place San José State, while Colorado State, Fresno State and Utah State occupy the top three spots, respectively. Additionally, Boise State secured the final berth in the MW tournament after winning at Air Force on Nov. 16.

> Against the Wolf Pack and Aggies, the Aztecs were led by Jasmine Davis, who blasted 25 kills (3.13/set), while Shea Rubright hit a combined .412, launching 17 non-returnables with just three errors in 34 attempts to go with 12 blocks, including one solo stop.

> San Diego State has posted more kills than the opposition in all but four matches this year (17-5) and has registered a greater hitting percentage on 19 occasions (16-3). In 2023, the Aztecs recorded a higher efficiency in 11 matches for the entire season, finishing with an 8-3 ledger in that category.

> Additionally, SDSU has displayed tremendous improvement at the net, collecting more blocks than opponents in 18 matches (14-4) already this season after leading in blocks just once for the entire 2023 campaign.

> The Aztecs have already played over three times as many five-set matches this season (5-5) compared to last year (0-3).

> SDSU is 14-0 this season when holding opponents to a hitting percentage below .200. The Aztecs have allowed just two foes to hit over .300 in a match this year: Tulane (.311, Sept. 7) and Colorado State (.304, Nov. 2).

> San Diego State is a combined 11-2 this season when one or two players surpass the double-digit kill plateau but is just 6-6 when three or more competitors post 10 or more put-aways in a match.

> The Aztecs are 6-1 in matches following a loss thus far and 10-8 in contests following a victory.

> For the season, Rubright has recorded a league-best .452 hitting percentage, which ranks second in the nation as of Nov. 20.

SERIES RECORD VS. NEW MEXICO
> Despite dropping its last six encounters with the Lobos, San Diego State still leads the all-time series 45-26 dating back to 1976.

> The Aztecs sport a 24-9 record against New Mexico in San Diego, a 16-17 mark in Albuquerque and a 5-0 ledger on a neutral court.

> SDSU will be looking to avenge a heart-breaking 3-2 defeat (22-25, 25-27, 26-24, 25-21, 14-16) on the road in its last meeting against the Lobos, who overcame a 14-7 deficit in the decisive fifth set, scoring nine straight points to escape with the improbable victory.

> The Aztecs maintained the upper hand in most statistical categories, including kills (77-66), hitting percentage (.260 to .214), digs (88-77) and team blocks (13.0 to 9.0), but it wasn’t enough.

> Individually, SDSU received a season-high 20 kills and four blocks (two solo) from Jasmine Davis, who hit .367 for the match, committing just two errors in 49 attempts while collecting 14 digs to complete the double-double.

> In addition, Underwood matched her season best with 18 put-aways and contributed three block assists, while Rubright continued her excellent all-round play with 12 kills and five block assists, posting a .611 hitting percentage with one error on 18 swings.

SERIES RECORD VS. AIR FORCE
> Although the Falcons have captured nine of the last 16 encounters, San Diego State holds a sizable 41-11 advantage over Air Force in the all-time series dating back to 1996.

> However, the Aztecs posted a four-set triumph at the Academy in the Mountain West opener for both teams on Sept. 26 (16-25, 25-12, 25-20, 25-13).

> As a team, SDSU maintained the statistical advantage in kills (49-41), digs (49-44) and team blocks (13.5 to 5.5) while limiting the Falcons to a .048 hitting percentage over the final three sets.

> Individually, the Aztecs received double-digit kills from Jasmine Davis (12) and Taylor Underwood (11), while Shea Rubright flashed her versatility, hitting .500 for the contest on seven put-aways without an error in 14 attempts. She also came up with eight blocks, including a pair of solo efforts.

> Not to be outdone, Kat Cooper displayed her all-around game with nine kills, committing just two miscues in 15 swings for a .467 efficiency while contributing five block assists.

SDSU IN MW RANKINGS
> Entering the final weekend of the regular season, Shea Rubright owns a league-best .452 hitting percentage, which ranks second in the nation as of Nov. 20. With her performances, the Aztec middle blocker is on pace to shatter the program’s single-season record of .410 set by Jennifer Hamilton in 1995 (min. 200 att.). In addition, Rubright is slotted eighth in the league in blocks (1.14/set).

> Gianna Bender is holding on to the seventh position in digs (3.65/set), while setters Sarena Gonzalez (5.41/set) and Fatimah Hall (5.26/set) occupy the eighth and ninth spots, respectively.

> Despite missing the last two matches, Taylor Underwood tops the squad with 3.46 points and 3.11 kills per set, which rank 10th in the conference.

> Kat Cooper also finds herself among the MW leaders, ranking 10th as well with a .326 hitting percentage.

> Gonzalez has logged the league’s highest assist total in a single match this season, dishing out 60 helpers against Eastern Washington, while Rubright is tied for the second spot with 11 blocks vs. UNLV.

> The Aztecs boast four of the top 10 hitting performances in the Mountain West thus far, including Talea Mitchell’s third-best .696 clip vs. Seattle, while Rubright’s two percentages from the SDSU Invitational (.667 vs. Tulane) and (.640 vs. Portland State) are tied for fourth and ninth, respectively. Not to be outdone, Cooper finds herself in the mix as well, ranking eighth with a .647 efficiency against Fresno State. 

> Elsewhere, Mitchell’s 24 kills vs. Colorado State are tied for the 11th-best total in the Mountain West this season.

> As a team, the Aztecs rank second in the Mountain West kills (13.27/set), assists (12.46/set) and hitting percentage (.257). In addition, the Scarlet and Black is slotted fifth in digs (13.83/set) while occupying the sixth position in blocks (2.32/set) and the eighth spot in service aces (1.39/set).

> On the national level, SDSU ranks 37th in hitting percentage, 59th in assists, and 69th in kills.

> San Diego State’s 77 kills and 73 assists at New Mexico mark the best team performances in the MW thus far. In addition, the Aztecs have logged 70 put-aways vs. Utah State, 69 at Boise State, and 68 vs. Eastern Washington which rank sixth eighth, and 10th, respectively.

> Additionally, the Aztecs’ season-high 17 team blocks against UNLV are tied for the sixth-best total in the conference so far this year.

MATCH CONNECTIONS
> San Diego State defensive specialist Keira Herron and New Mexico middle blocker Liepa Lavicktye were teammates at Oregon State during the 2023 campaign before entering the transfer portal.

> Aztec outside hitter Talea Mitchell and Lobo outside hitter Amanda Tremeroli competed against one another as prep seniors in 2023 in Arizona. Mitchell’s Millennium High team (Goodyear) recorded a 2-1 triumph over Tremeroli’s Pinnacle High squad (Phoenix) in a non-conference tournament match. Mitchell totaled four kills, three block assists and three digs, while Tremeroli finished with 11 kills and three block assists, according to MaxPreps.

> Mitchell and Air Force libero Jordan Suan also squared off on the Arizona prep scene in a preseason tournament match during the 2021 campaign. In Mitchell’s sophomore season, Millennium High registered a two-set sweep over Perry High (Gilbert), featuring Suan, who was a senior on that squad. Mitchell blasted one kill in that encounter, while Suan collected 18 digs, according to MaxPreps.

> Falcon junior right-side hitter Savanah Johnson is a graduate of Eastlake High in Chula Vista.

SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
> After a brutal stretch of nine straight defeats to fall out of contention in the conference race, New Mexico (13-13, 6-10 MW) has won four in a row, including a pair of four-set home victories over Air Force (25-14,21-25,25-23,25-18) and Boise State (24-26,25-14,25-20,25-14) last week. With the results, the Lobos move to 8-5 on their home floor while maintaining a combined 5-8 record in road/neutral contests. The Aztecs and Lobos have faced one common opponent in their respective non-conference schedules, as UNM captured a 3-1 victory over Tulane in its season opener on Aug. 30. However, SDSU was not as fortunate in its encounter with the Green Wave at the San Diego State Invitational, dropping a four-set decision on Sept. 7. Offensively, the Lobos are led by junior Lauren Payne, who ranks ninth in the MW with 3.27 kills per set for all matches, while graduate seniors Falanika Jefferson (2.57) and Jada Bouyer (2.25) are also averaging over two put-aways per frame. Not to be outdone, Jefferson has also excelled on defense, leading the league with 4.13 digs per set, while sophomore and reigning MW Defensive Player of the Week Liepa Lavicktye tops the conference with 1.39 blocks per set, followed by teammate Elizabeth Woods (1.11/set), who ranks 10th. Elsewhere, sophomore setter Madeleine Miller occupies the seventh spot in the MW with 7.63 assists per set. As a team, UNM leads the league in both blocks (2.56/set) and digs (15.84/set), which rank 29th and 70th in the nation as of Nov. 20, respectively, Consequently, the Lobos are slotted third in the league with a .187 opponent efficiency. However, UNM occupies the 10th spot in kills (12.38/set) and hitting percentage (.179). The Lobos are under the direction of sixth-year head coach Jon Newman-Gonchar, who arrived on the Albuquerque campus after spending the previous three seasons at Arkansas as associate head coach. Newman-Gonchar has also had stints as an assistant coach at Iowa State (2013-15), Loyola Marymount (2010-12), as well as UC San Diego with both the men’s and women’s teams (2007-09).

> Air Force (3-24, 2-14 MW) has fallen on hard times this season, suffering three-set sweeps in 14 of 27 matches, including a 3-0 whitewash at home vs. Boise State (17-25, 15-25, 24-26), which came on the heels of a 3-1 defeat at New Mexico earlier last week (14-25, 25-21, 23-25, 18-25). All three of the Falcons’ wins this year have been recorded at home (3-9) while a combined 15 matches in road/neutral sites have failed to yielding a victory. Air Force is led by senior outside hitter Ella Tschuor, who is averaging 2.55 kills per set, while junior Ashley Bible (2.27) is also producing over two put-aways per frame. In addition, freshman Grace Fiaseu (1.66 kills/set) owns a team-leading 87 blocks (0.92/set) and a .304 hitting percentage, while junior Jordan Suan is slotted sixth in the MW with 3.71 digs per set. Collectively, Air Force ranks at or near the basement in most statistical categories, including hitting percentage (.146), kills (10.87/set) and opponent efficiency (.252). The Falcons are guided by first-year head coach Macey Donathon, who previously served as an assistant coach at Arkansas (2019-22), Arizona State (2017-18) and Liberty (2016). The former Macey Gardner played collegiately at Arizona State, where she finished as the program’s all-time leader with 1,882 kills, which ranks 18th in Pac-12 conference history.

ON THE HORIZON
> San Diego State is one of six teams to clinch a spot in the Mountain West Championship, Nov. 27-30, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

> The Aztecs will await word of their first-round opponent when the conference releases the tournament bracket following the completion of Saturday’s matches.