SAN DIEGO, Calif. – Utah State volleyball (2-7, 2-7 MW) wrapped up its week of competition in a 3-2 loss at San Diego State (4-8, 4-8 MW) Friday. 

Utah State jumped out to a 2-0 lead, winning the first and second sets by scores of 25-21 and 25-23, respectively. San Diego State bounced back, taking the third set, 25-20, and the fourth, 25-19. The Aztecs then won the decisive fifth set, 15-7. 

For the Aggies, freshman outside hitter Tatum Stall and senior opposite Bailey Downing led with 14 kills apiece, while Stall finished the night hitting a team-high .343 (14-2-35). Junior middle blocker Autumn Spafford recorded a season-high seven blocks. Three setters saw time on the court for USU, with sophomore Ashlee McUne leading the group with 19 assists. Freshman libero Abby Peterson finished the match with 22 digs. 

The Aztecs scored first in every set, but the Aggies quickly responded each time. SDSU took a 3-0 lead to start the first set, but USU followed with six straight points, never trailing again in the set. The Aggies faced a big challenge in the second, trailing for the majority of the set. After tying the score at 20, Utah State went on to close out the set with Downing making the set-point kill. 

The score was tight through the first half of the third set, but the Aztecs gained momentum at the 13-12 mark, surging ahead to win their first set of the series. San Diego State maintained its drive through the fourth, leading for the majority of the set. Back-to-back Aggie attack errors ended the set in the Aztecs' favor, forcing a fifth. SDSU continued to dominate in the fifth set. USU ended a 5-0 run, but the Aztecs were at match point, clinching the victory with a kill off the next serve. 

Overall, Utah State hit .178 (50-23-152) while San Diego State hit .238 (57-23-143).

Utah State returns home to host Air Force for a pair of matches next week. The Aggies and Falcons will play on Friday, March 19, at 5 p.m., and Saturday, March 20, at 1 p.m. Both matches will be played in the Wayne Estes Center and fan attendance will be limited to a player pass list. 

Fans can follow the Aggie volleyball program on Twitter, @USUVolleyball, on Facebook at /USUVolleyball or on Instagram, @usuvolleyball. Aggie fans can also follow the Utah State athletic program on Twitter, @USUAthletics, Facebook at /USUAthletics and on Instagram, @USUAthletics.