SDSU led 2–1 before the Cougars rallied at Fertitta Center; Taylor Underwood posts 18 kills, freshman Zara Stewart records career-high 19 digs in a match featuring 34 ties and 10 lead changes.
HOUSTON, Texas | San Diego State volleyball absorbed a tough setback in its Flo Hyman Classic opener on Thursday night, falling to Houston 3–2 (25–21, 15–25, 25–21, 20–25, 11–15) at the Fertitta Center. The Aztecs (1–2) built a 2–1 advantage but couldn’t fend off a late surge from the unbeaten Cougars (4–0) in the first meeting between the programs in 40 years.
In a match defined by razor-thin margins — 34 ties and 10 lead changes — SDSU’s attack cooled over the final two sets (.047), while Houston found its rhythm, hitting .259 in sets four and five and stacking seven team blocks to flip momentum. The Cougars delivered a near-flawless fourth set at .361 efficiency (13 kills, 0 errors on 36 swings) to force the decider, then closed on a 5–1 run to seal it.
Aztecs by the numbers
- Taylor Underwood (.342) tied for match-high honors with 18 kills, powering SDSU’s pins.
- Campbell Hague (.368) and junior transfer Ella Schabort added 10 kills each.
- Kendall Mairs (25 assists, 7 digs) and freshman Bella Jones (18 assists) split setting duties.
- Freshman libero Zara Stewart shined with a career-high 19 digs, while Amber Keen patrolled the net with a match-best six blocks (1 solo).
- Senior Keira Herron chipped in 12 digs; Schabort was one dig shy of a double-double (9).
Houston’s response
The Cougars edged the Aztecs in kills (54–52), hitting (.271–.144), blocks (12.0–8.0), and aces (7–4). Bre Reid matched Underwood with 18 kills, with Halle Schroder (14) and Avery Shimaitis (11) also in double figures. Lottie Scully handed out 41 assists, and Gillian Pitts anchored the floor defense with 13 digs.
SDSU opened with its best offensive frame (.423; 13 kills, 2 errors) and answered Houston’s second-set push by grinding out the third behind timely Underwood swings and Cougar miscues. In the fifth, tied 10–10 after an Aztec four-point burst (kills by Schabort, Jones, Hague, plus a Stewart ace), Houston answered with the final decisive run, highlighted by a Shimaitis solo block to reach match point and a closing stuff from Reid and Barakat Rahmon.
Why it matters
The performance showcased SDSU’s ceiling — three attackers in double figures and a breakout from a freshman libero — while underlining late-set execution and first-ball side-out as priorities heading deeper into tournament play.
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-- By Michael R. Thomas
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