SEASIDE, Calif. - The 2nd-ranked UC San Diego women's volleyball team improved to 12-0 all-time against Cal State Monterey Bay in a 25-18, 26-24, 25-21 sweep in Seaside on Saturday night.
Julia Freidenberg led UCSD with 13 kills on .600 hitting while
Sylvia Schmidt added 11 kills on .312 hitting.
Roxanne Brunsting had three of UCSD's eight aces and added 21 digs. With the win, UCSD improves to 26-2, 18-2 California Collegiate Athletic Association, while the Otters drop to 12-18, 6-14 CCAA. The 26 wins ties the most-ever victories under head coach
Tom Black's direction for the Tritons.
The Tritons last won 26 games during the 2006 season when the Tritons won the NCAA West Region and advanced to the NCAA National Quarterfinal match.
Freidenberg's .600 average marked the fifth time she has hit at least .600. Schmidt's 11 kills gives the senior 408 kills in 2009. The UCSD single-season record is 439 kills held by former Triton Bonnie Wilson, set during the 2004 season. Schmidt can set the single-season mark in RIMAC Arena next week with a combined 32 kills in the two remaining home matches.
Hillary Williamson added nine kills while Elaine Chen finished with 34 assists, four kills and five digs. Cara Simonsen had five kills on .333 hitting with five digs and two blocks.
Katie Condon finished the night with just six kills, but four of those kills came during the final set.
Brunsting's 21 digs marked the sixth time this season with at least 20 digs. Brunsting last had at least 20 digs when the Tritons defeated Sonoma State in Rohnert Park on October 10. Brunsting is up to 435 digs this season, passing her 2008 total of 424 digs. Brunsting's current mark is the third highest in school history. Former Triton Natalie Facchini holds the top two marks with 555 in 2007 and 487 in 2006.
In the first set, CSUMB came out strong, scoring five of the first six points of the set. CSUMB maintained the lead until the Tritons tied it up and went ahead on a Chen ace at 13-12. UCSD would not give up the lead the rest of the way. Leading 16-15, a Cara Simonsen kill started a 7-1 UCSD run and resulted in a 23-16 Triton lead. Freidenberg sent down the final kill at 25-18. UCSD hit at a .333 clip in the set, while CSUMB was held to a .097 average. Four different Tritons had multiple kills in the set.
The Tritons led by as many as seven points in the second set, taking a 20-13 lead. UCSD had trouble closing out the Otters however, even with a 24-19 lead. CSUMB would rally and score five straight points, tying the set at 24-24. Williamson put the Tritons back on top with a kill and Brunsting closed out the set with an ace at 26-24.
In the third set, UCSD fell behind 11-6 but quickly returned the favor, coming within 12-11 after consecutive Condon kills. CSUMB would continue to sideout with the Tritons, but UCSD could not take the lead. With the Otters leading 20-18, a Freidenberg kill, followed by a Brunsting ace and Williamson kill gave the Tritons their first lead since 5-4, at 21-20. The Triton points were a start of a 10-2 run which ended the set and match. Simonsen had the final kill at 25-21.
UCSD is back in action for the final weekend of conference play next week. The Tritons host Sonoma State on Friday with a first serve set for 7:00 p.m. in RIMAC Arena.
