By Otis White – Spear Reporter | Spartans celebrating game winning kill from Ava Hewitt (Photo by Marilyn Anye – Spear Photographer)
San Jose State women’s volleyball (6-6) took down the University of Las Vegas (6-5) 3-2 in a nailbiting match on Thursday night.
The Spartans looked to make a statement in the first game of conference play, setting the bar high for this year’s team moving forward.
The match was neck-to-neck each set, with each team showcasing high energy and competitiveness.
The Spartans took the first set 26-24, backed by the spark of freshman outside hitter Morgan Graves, as well as some huge kills from Junior Middle Blocker, Ava Hewitt.
UNLV matched SJSU’s energy in the second set, intensifying their defense to rally a 27-25 win. Outside hitters Jaida Harris and Alondra Alarcon were the key players for UNLV. Providing a combined 26 kills for the game.
The Spartans were able to bounce back in the third set and win 25-20.
The fourth set was a dog fight between the two teams, both showcasing high level defense. UNLV was able to pull away 27-25, forcing a fifth set.
The Spartans came out firing on all cylinders in the fifth set, with big time blocks by sophomore Middle Blocker Learden Lee and a big time kill by junior Outside Hitter Naima Foster. The play to end the game was made by Hewitt, putting the nail on the coffin with a monster spike to send the Rebels home, winning the final set 15-10.
“We were trying to focus on service pressure from the endline because they got some really nice attackers,” head coach Todd Kress said, highlighting the strategic adjustments that helped secure the win.
On September 27th at 1 p.m. The Spartans will take on San Diego State at the Spartan Gymnasium in their second game of conference play.
