Winning Start to Mountain West PlayWinning Start to Mountain West Play

Winning Start to Mountain West Play

Box Score

SAN JOSE, Calif.—Three Spartans recorded double-digit kills for the fifth consecutive match, but none bigger than Ava Hewitt-Smith’s 10th kill as it sealed a 3-2 victory (26-24, 25-27, 25-20, 25-27, 15-10) for the San José State volleyball team Thursday night over UNLV in the Mountain West opener inside Spartan Gym.

  • Hewitt-Smith, Lolo Fonua and Morgan Graves each had double-figure kills in the win.
  • Fonua hit a team-best .353 as she recorded 16 kills on 34 attempts and only four errors.
  • Graves added 14 kills in the win.
  • The Spartans recorded a season-best 16 blocks in the win, led by Hewit-Smith with seven, two solo and five assists.
  • Learden Lee had a season-best three solo blocks to go with two block assists, while Mariana Buchanan (0-3) and Graves each had two blocks (2-1).
  • Fatimah Hall recorded her third consecutive and fifth overall double-double with 25 assists and 11 digs.
  • Randilyn Reeves led the team with a career-best 18 digs, and 14 Spartans recorded at least one dig in the match.
  • The Spartans took the first set 26-24, fighting off a Rebel set point and winning on a Fonua kill and a Clara Christensen service ace.
  • After UNLV took the second set 27-25, SJSU took the lead at 6-5 on another Fonua kill and never looked back in the 25-20 win.
  • The two teams battled in the fourth set with SJSU fighting off four UNLV set points before the Rebels won 27-25.
  • The Spartans jumped out to an early 5-0 lead in the deciding set, but UNLV fought back to tie the set at 8-8. SJSU took the lead for good on a Graves kill at 11-10. Lee served out the set for SJSU, and Hewitt-Smith’s 10th kill gave San José State the 15-10 win.

UP NEXT – The Spartans host San Diego State Saturday at 1 p.m., in a battle of 1-0 teams as the Aztecs swept Fresno State Thursday night.

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