LA JOLLA, Calif. - UC San Diego hit a season-high .408 and got 16 kills from Tanner Syftestad in topping Holy Names University, 3-0, in non-conference men's volleyball action Wednesday inside RIMAC Arena. Set scores were 25-16, 25-13 and 25-17.
UCSD needed a mere 70 minutes from first serve to last point, to snap its 12-match losing streak and improve to 2-13. Holy Names, out of Oakland in the Bay Area, fell to 1-5. It was the first-ever meeting between the schools in men's volleyball.
In manufacturing 39 kills out of 10 different players and committing just eight errors over 76 attacks, the Tritons hit at their most efficient rate since achieving a .554 clip in another non-conference home sweep of UC Merced on April 5, 2014. The errors were their lowest amount since having eight previously in that same match.
Syftestad himself was a stellar .583 (16-2-24) for his season best, equaling his top mark as a Triton of 16 kills to lead all players. He added team highs of six digs and four blocks, though Bryan Zhu (San Diego/Rancho Bernardo HS) came off the bench to match his block total. The middle blocker added a career-best four kills without an error (4-0-6). Fellow redshirt freshman Calvin Manchenko served a pair of aces.
In the opening set, UCSD had Syftestad, Ian Colbert and Mathew Schnitzer combine on the lone triple block of the night for a 5-3 lead. The Tritons also matched their season high of 9.5 total team blocks. Syftestad wound up with seven of his 16 kills on .600 hitting (7-1-10) in the frame.
Zhu and freshman middle Alec Flowers teamed up for a stuff block on set point to close out a dominant game two for the home side. Zhu then started the third and provided a pair of big kills early off sets from José Carlos Martinez to tie the score at 1-1 and 3-3, respectively. Trailing 9-8, the Tritons ran off the next four points, getting a combo block by Zhu and Luke La Mont, a La Mont kill, and solo denial by Zhu during the sequence to jump ahead for the first time, 12-9. They would remain on top for the remainder. Another 6-0 surge turned a 13-11 lead into a commanding 19-11 bulge, as UCSD capped off the sweep.
Martinez finished with 12 assists, while starter Milosh Stojcic had 22 and four digs.
Kyle Cazares led Holy Names with seven kills, while Kaili Schumacher-Lagundino scurried his way to a match-high 11 digs.
UCSD concludes a three-match mini-homestand this weekend, returning to Mountain Pacific Sports Federation play against No. 8 UC Santa Barbara on Friday, Feb. 27, and No. 9 UCLA on Saturday, Feb. 28. First serve inside RIMAC Arena for both contests is set for 7 p.m.
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