SPRINGFIELD, Mass. ?The 13th-ranked UC San Diego men's volleyball team hit at a blistering .463 clip in a 30-20, 33-35, 30-27, 30-18 win over Saint Francis in the first round of the 22nd annual Hall of Fame Morgan Classic at Blake Arena. Will Ehrman led for Tritons in double-figures in kills with 18 on .571 hitting. Frank Fritsch added 17 kills on .433 hitting while Phil Bannan had 62 assists and seven digs. With the win, UCSD improves to 5-6 while the Red Flash drop to 6-4. The Tritons will play the winner of the Springfield vs. George Mason match-up in the championship game on Saturday night at 8:00 p.m. in Massachusetts.
Jason Spangler added 15 kills for the Tritons on .333 hitting while Adrian Guthals contributed 13 kills on .600 hitting. Calvin Ross had a team-high six blocks to go with his nine kills while Eric Leserman had a team-high 11 digs.
This was the first time this year the Tritons have hit over .400 as the Tritons accomplished the feat twice in 2008.
In the first set with the score tied at 13-13, Frank Fritsch recorded his sixth kill in seven swings to put the Tritons ahead 14-13. Tied at 14-14, UCSD scored four straight points as Jason Spangler had a kill while Will Ehrman had a kill and an ace for the 18-14 lead. After Calvin Ross pushed the Triton lead to 22-15, the Red Flash cut the lead down to five points. Spangler and Phil Bannan recorded a kill and a service ace, respectively, putting the Tritons on top 25-17. UCSD recorded its final two points on a block assist by Adrian Guthals and Fritsch and an Ehrman kill to take the set 30-20. In the set, Fritsch had seven kills on .700 hitting as the Tritons hit .533 in the opening set.
The Tritons trailed early in the second set by three points before the set would be tied on several occasions throughout. With UCSD trailing 16-14, the set would go on to be tied at points 17 through 25 before Guthals came through with a kill, followed by a solo block to give the Tritons a 27-25 lead. SFU responded with a kill but Ehrman pushed the Triton lead back up to 28-26. After another SFU point, a Red Flash service error gave the Tritons set point at 29-27. SFU would score two straight to tie the set at 29-29 before Fritsch ended the run with a kill and the 30-29 lead. SFU took the game after a kill and block to win 35-33.
In the third set, UCSD took a 19-15 lead after a Fritsch block and SFU error. Leading 20-17, Spangler sent down a kill and followed it up with an ace and the Tritons led 22-17. The Tritons took a 29-23 lead on a Bannan service ace and looked to be in control for the win. SFU then rallied to come within 29-27, forcing the Tritons to call timeout. Out of the timeout, an SFU service error gave the Tritons the win at 30-27.
The Tritons took control from the start in set four, jumping out to an 18-10 lead after Spangler and Guthals sent down kills. The Tritons opened up an 11 point lead after a Bannan ace and Ross kill at 22-11. UCSD would cruise to the win as Ehrman sent down the final kill at 30-18.
