By Larry Larkin (@larrylarkinsjsu) – Spear Reporter | Sophomore outside hitter Nayeli Ti’a in motion to serve the ball in play during a home match on Sept. 19 (Photo by Nick Orozco – Co-Executive Editor of The Spear)
San Jose State volleyball (12-3, 8-3 MW) survived a comeback attempt as it beat Air Force (2-20, 1-10 MW) 3-2 Thursday at home.
After SJSU won the first two sets, Air Force took the next two to force the fifth set.
“I feel like we just let our foot off the gas,” SJSU head coach Todd Kress said on X. “That’s a lesson to be learned that you have to finish a match a team is not just going to roll over.”
Air Force entered the match on an eight-match losing streak.
Things started to go downhill for the Spartans after leading 22-17 in the third set.
SJSU staved off the comeback effort with a 15-13 win in the fifth set, aided by senior outside and right-side hitter Blaire Fleming’s big-time kill that put it up 13-11.
The Spartans had a sideout percentage of 55.8 compared to the Falcons’ 49.5%.
Fleming led the Spartans with 19 kills.
Sophomore outside hitter Nayeli Ti’a had 10 kills, the only other Spartan with double-digit kills in the match.
Ti’a also led SJSU with 16 digs. The only other Spartan with double-digit digs was senior setter Brooke Slusser with 13.
The Spartans committed 14 errors while the Falcons had 20.
Kress emphasized the need to move past errors.
“So many rallies end on errors that you have to control the errors,” Kress said. “You have to clean your headspace and be ready for the next point immediately.”
SJSU will have a quick turnaround going into its next match, which is at home against New Mexico. Scheduled start time is noon Saturday.
