LA JOLLA, Calif. - Behind a spectacular career-high 31 kills by junior opposite Tanner Syftestad, the University of California San Diego men's volleyball team outlasted Hope International University, 3-2, in a non-conference match Saturday night at RIMAC Arena. Set scores were 23-25, 25-15, 20-25, 25-22 and 16-14.
It was a third successive five-set affair for UC San Diego, and now a second straight victory. In both wins, the Tritons overturned a pair of one-set deficits, having done the same just last Saturday at Concordia Irvine in another non-conference tilt.
With the result, UCSD improves to 2-5 overall. The Tritons made their debut at No. 5 in this week's edition of the first-year Off the Block/Springbak, Inc. Division II National Coaches Poll. HIU, out of Fullerton and ranked No. 8 in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) preseason poll, dropped to an even 4-4 after a third consecutive loss, all on the road this week.
Syftestad celebrated his 22nd birthday in style, notching a third straight performance of 20-plus kills in his No. 22 jersey as the Tritons rolled out their new home uniforms for the first time. His 30th and 31st kills broke a 14-14 deadlock in the fifth, the Sacramento native handling an overpass off of a serve from senior teammate and fellow tri-captain Ian Colbert on match point. The UCSD Pep Band serenaded him with a birthday song in the postgame celebration.
True freshman libero Ryan Lew was everywhere for head coach Kevin Ring's club, totaling 20 digs on the night, just three shy of the top single-match tally in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) so far this year. Incidentally, Syftestad's 31 kills were two short of the high by USC's Lucas Yoder.
Junior setter Milosh Stojcic advanced past the 50-assist mark for the first time in his career, finishing with 56. Redshirt freshman outside hitter Xander Jimenez provided a spark off the bench, joining Syftestad in double-figure kills with a career-best 11 on .444 (11-3-18) hitting. Redshirt sophomore Drew Sloane drew his first career start at a middle blocker position and produced career highs of five kills at a .400 (5-1-10) clip, two aces and a match-best six total blocks. Syftestad added five blocks to go with nine digs, needing just one more for his second collegiate double-double.
Sloane's first ace tied the score at 4-4 early in the first frame. Trailing 14-10, however, the Tritons rallied via mini-runs of 2-0 and 3-0 to level matters again at 15-15. An HIU point preceded a more significant 5-0 stretch, which included UCSD's first block thanks to Stojcic and Alec Flowers, around the Royals' first timeout. Seemingly in control at 20-16 and later still at 23-19, the Tritons surrendered the final six points and thus the opening set.
That turn of events clearly angered the hosts, as they came out blazing in the second. On the initial point, Jimenez, Sloane and Syftestad partnered up for the Tritons' first triple block at home this season. Before long, it was 13-4. Sloane's kill forced HIU into its second timeout, with Jimenez serving the first of his two aces coming out of it. Syftestad's solo denial of Max Osmundson made it a 21-11 bulge en route to 1-1.
The Royals trotted out to a 10-6 advantage before the first timeout in the third. UCSD closed to within a single tally on six occasions from there, but could not find equal footing. It was 19-18 when HIU scored the next five and claimed the frame.
Syftestad took over in the fourth, contributing 12 of his kills in that set alone, including, just like in the fifth, on his team's final two points. He and Sloane also teamed up on a big combo block to break a 10-10 tie.
Things weren't looking great for the home side early in the decider, down 5-3 after Osmundson and Chase Larson rejected Syftestad, and 6-3 when Ring had to call for time. Straight away, freshman outside hitter Devin Pontigon (Oceanside/El Camino HS) put down a pair of kills around a bad Royal attack to pull even at 6-6, but Larson's kill had HIU up 8-7 at the side change. The Tritons responded with the next three again on kills by Jimenez and Syftestad, and Osmundson's attack error. Moments later, it was Sloane who came up huge, stuffing Tyler Michael by himself for a 12-9 lead.
The Royals still wouldn't quit, emerging from their final timeout with the next four points to regain the slight 13-12 edge and put UCSD on the brink. From there, Jimenez converted the Stojcic assist, and Sloane and Syftestad turned back Osmundson. Jimenez served into the net for a 28th and final tie score for the contest, before Syftestad sent the Triton faithful home happy.
As a team, UCSD hit a season-best .295 (64-25-132).
Osmundson led the Royals with 19 kills. Setter Enrique Lopez had 44 assists and libero Jared Shirai got to 10 digs.
UC San Diego remains in non-conference action, welcoming Princeton into RIMAC Arena this Wednesday night, Feb. 1. First serve is set for 6 p.m.
Triton Notes: UCSD is 9-0 against HIU all-time, including 5-0 in La Jolla ... Saturday's opening set marked the first game the Tritons dropped to the Royals at home, having swept the previous four meetings at RIMAC Arena ... In fact, HIU had only once before managed to grab a frame from UCSD, in a 3-2 decision in Fullerton in 2012 ... The teams had not faced off since 2013 ... Tanner Syftestad's 31 kills are the most by a Triton since Frank Fritsch produced 33 in a four-set home win over Hawai'i on March 13, 2009 ... Ryan Lew's 20 digs are the most by a UCSD player since Eric Leserman totaled 20 in a five-set home loss to Stanford on Feb. 3, 2007.
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