By: Ryanne Rich, contributor

The University of Arizona Wildcats rallied to beat San Diego State in a five-set game at Peterson
Gymnasium, finishing with a 3-2 victory (25-16, 25-19, 25-18, 25-19, 15-8).

The game took off with a strong start from the San Diego State Aztecs, stealing the first two sets. But the Wildcats were quick to
turn their game around, totally dominating through their defense to take home the rest of the game.

The Aztecs unleashed their energy early, playing to their strengths with an aggressive offense. Middle blocker Taelyn Bentley anchored her team through her solo blocks to help them make the kills they needed to take the lead.

Bentley was straight to the point about her mindset early on.

“Today, I want to win. From the first point, that’s what came to my mind.”

That power from the first set carried right into the second, immediately scoring a kill in the opening rally. Coming in with the fire worked well for the Aztecs, as despite any errors made, they went for the kill every time.

The Arizona Wildcats fought hard to try to close the gap between the teams, but it wasn’t enough against opposite hitter Ella Schabort, whose attacks overpowered them and made the set-winning point 25-19.

Set 3 marked a major turn for the Wildcats as they adjusted their defense tactics to better match
the Aztecs’ pace. By forcing SDSU into hitting errors out of bounds, Arizona was able to keep their game alive through back-to-back service aces and a stellar blocking performance, capturing Set 3 with a final score of 25-18.

The Wildcat force didn’t end here, as they took the momentum from the Set 3 win into the next set of the game. Despite SDSU’s defense being strong, the University of Arizona made theirs stronger.

The Aztecs did their best to stay as close behind in score as they could, but their strong offensive start had appeared to die down from the initial two sets. Losing out on points from attack errors and a double-contact penalty, SDSU’s early offense had faded, dropping Set 4 by a score of 25-19.

The final set of the game was back-and-forth between the two teams, with neither wanting the other to take too far of a lead. The intensity of the match was felt beyond just the players, with SDSU head coach Brent Hilliard growing visibly upset at the Aztecs’ errors.

The tight defense of the Arizona Wildcats helped them in response to the regained energy of SDSU. As the Aztecs tried to make their comeback, Arizona opposite hitter Renee Jones didn’t even give them a chance, landing crucial kills to help put her team over the edge.

In the end, SDSU’s steam blew out, with Arizona sealing the match on a point by opposite hitter Kennedy Osunsanmi.

Schabort says they’ll focus on “understanding what their [opponent’s] strengths are so we can stop them.”