The volleyball team improved to 4-4 in Mountain West Conference play and 17-7 overall with a five-game win over the San Diego State Aztecs, 30-28, 30-18, 26-30, 26-30, 15-12, at the University Rec Center on Saturday.After tying the score at 2 in the fifth and deciding game, the Horned Frogs never fell behind. Freshman outside hitter Irene Hester delivered the winning kill from junior setter Nirelle Hampton. Hampton also had a meaningful kill at to give the Frogs match point.

“I was just trying to find the open court, and I had a lot of people talking to me telling me it was open, and I took advantage of the opportunity,” Hampton said.

Hester said the victory was the result of the combined effort of every player.

“Everyone stepped up, and they did their job,” Hester said. “One person wasn’t just trying to win it all.”

Head coach Prentice Lewis said the team picked up its energy level at the end of game four, coming within four points after being down by as many as 11.

“They really all put together the momentum in that fourth game going into the fifth game, and I think they were like ‘Hey, we got it, we understand how to do it.'”

Lewis said the Aztecs changed their libero court position.

“They moved their libero from left back to middle back,” Lewis said. “Their libero is what you call a tempo player. Even though she’s just a libero, she gets all the balls to the net and makes fantastic digs.”

Hester said communication was important against the Aztecs, the top defensive team in the conference.

“Their defense was just very well disciplined, so we just had to make sure that we talked to each other.”

The Aztecs finished with 83 digs, compared to the Horned Frogs’ 73. Senior libero Calli Corley was the squad’s digs leader with 27, bringing her career total to 1,274. But the Horned Frogs stymied the Aztecs in all blocking categories. Sophomore middle blocker Kourtney Edwards led the team with nine blocks and the Frogs outnumbered the Aztecs in total team blocks 20 to eight.