TURLOCK, Calif. - A 3-0 win at Stanislaus State Friday night not only gave UC San Diego its seventh-straight victory, it clinched the Tritons a spot in the upcoming California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Women's Volleyball Tournament.
Scores at Fitzpatrick Arena were 25-17, 25-23 and 25-20. UCSD extended its season-long win streak, improving to 16-9 overall and 12-5 in the CCAA, alone in third place. Stanislaus State, loser of four of its last five, fell to 13-9 and 7-9. The Warriors are still alive for a postseason slot.
Alyssa McNeely equaled a career-high with 14.0 points. The sophomore middle blocker finished with eight kills, two service aces and six blocks (two solos). She also hit .316 with just two errors in 19 attacks.
Two Tritons recorded double-doubles as Meagan Wright (San Diego/Bonita Vista HS) had 11 kills and 14 digs, while Danielle Dahle (La Mesa/Grossmont HS) finished with 10 kills and 15 digs. Amanda Colla (Carlsbad/San Dieguito Academy) amassed 14 digs.
Jocelyn Cervantes led the Warriors with nine kills and Sarah Crowl had a match-high 17 digs.
UC San Diego led offensively with a .252 (41-13-111) to .175 (39-17-126) advantage in hitting percentage. The Tritons out-blocked the Warriors, 10.5 to 7.0.
The match opened with UCSD winning eight of the first 10 points. The Tritons led the whole way and hit .387 (16-4-31) in the frame.
A competitive second set had Stanislaus State leading 22-21 following a Triton service error. However, UCSD took four of the next five points to go up two sets to none.
The third set featured 10 tie scores and six lead changes. Tied 19-19, a block by Cervantes and Morgan Miller gave the Warriors a lead. It was short-lived as UC San Diego exploded to win six consecutive points to close out the match. Stanislaus State had four straight attack errors during the sequence, one due to a McNeely block.
UCSD also swept Stanislaus State on Oct. 24 in La Jolla. Friday's win was the 11th consecutive for the Tritons against the Warriors, a stretch dating back to the 2010 season.
The eight-team CCAA tourney will be held Nov. 19-21 at UC San Diego's RIMAC Arena. The Tritons join Sonoma State and Cal State San Bernardino on the list of teams that have secured a berth.
UC San Diego plays at Chico State (16-10, 8-8) Saturday at 7 p.m. The Wildcats fell in four sets to No. 17 Cal State San Bernardino Friday. On Oct. 23 at RIMAC Arena, UCSD earned a 3-1 victory against CSUC.
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