LA JOLLA, Calif. - The UC San Diego men's volleyball team fell to No. 10 CSUN, 3-0, in the 2016 season finale for both sides on Senior Night at RIMAC Arena Saturday. Set scores were 25-23, 25-18 and 25-17.
UCSD completed the campaign at 5-23 overall and 0-22 in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF). CSUN finished its slate at 14-15 overall and 7-15 in league play. The Matadors were just eliminated from postseason contention on Thursday night with a fifth straight defeat. They had, however, also won the earlier meeting between the teams, 3-0, in Northridge back on Feb. 19.
Seniors Tanner Howard and Kirill Rudenko were recognized prior to first serve for their career contributions. Howard was in the program for four years, the first year and a half as manager before becoming the primary libero and two-time captain. Rudenko was a three-year outside hitter after arriving from his native Russia.
Rudenko provided eight kills on Saturday night, with UCSD's lone service ace, four digs and a block assist. Howard got to a team-best five digs, and also had a set assist. Tanner Syftestad led the way offensively with nine kills, adding three digs and a pair of blocks. Ian Colbert finished with six kills, four digs, two blocks and an assist.
For the second night in a row, all of UCSD's kills came from its starters. Sophomore setter Milosh Stojcic dished out 16 assists and also got to three digs, before true freshman teammate Ryan Blaich took over for the third set and had eight assists, two digs and two block assists. Junior middle Shayne Beamer collected three kills and a team-high three blocks, including one of three for solos for the Tritons.
Saturday's opener had 11 tie scores and three lead changes. UCSD tallied the first three points, and put together a 5-0 run around a CSUN timeout for a 10-6 cushion, Late on, however, Arvis Greene, Jr.'s solo block on Colbert gave the visitors a 21-19 lead and forced the Tritons' second timeout. A service error preceded a solo stuff for UCSD as Syftestad returned the favor, denying Dimitar Kalchev for 21-21. Beamer and Colbert combined to deny Greene for 22-22, but the Matadors scored three of the final four points, with Josiah Byers and Emerson Waumans blocking down Rudenko on set point.
The Tritons again led for much of the early going in set two, by as many as four at 10-6 and 11-7. CSUN notched seven of the next nine around a UCSD timeout, a sequence capped by a combo stuff by Byers and freshman setter Sam Porter on Rudenko. That gave the visitors a 14-13 edge, and moments after two tie scores at 14-14 and 15-15, another five consecutive points put them in command at 23-17.
Strings of 3-0 and 4-0 gave CSUN leads of 8-4 and 16-8, respectively, en route to a relatively comfortable third-set victory. Byers, Porter and Jakub Ciesla turned in the night's first triple block for 7-4, with UCSD providing one of its own on the first of two match points, courtesy of Blaich, Rudenko and Alec Flowers down the middle.
Colbert had a big solo block on Greene in the middle of a 3-0 run that pulled the Tritons within five at 17-12 and had the Matadors calling for time. Beamer and Blaich also worked together on a huge denial of Kalchev for 22-14.
Greene wound up with a match-high 12 kills, while Kalchev added 11. Porter handed out 31 assists. Byers contributed five kills and six total blocks to lead all.
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