LA JOLLA, Calif. - The University of California San Diego got several big performances toward a third consecutive victory, topping Princeton University, 3-1, in non-conference men's volleyball action at RIMAC Arena on Wednesday night. Set scores were 25-22, 25-19, 21-25 and 25-21.
UC San Diego improves to 3-5 overall. This is the Tritons' first three-match win streak since they took five in a row from March 9-31, 2012. Princeton, of the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (EIVA), fell to 2-4. The Tigers began their three-match California trip with a straight-set loss at No. 2 UCLA on Sunday night.
Tanner Syftestad produced the match high in kills for a fourth successive outing, putting down 21. The junior opposite out of Sacramento now has 20-plus kills in four straight contests. Fellow tri-captain Ian Colbert, a fourth-year senior outside hitter, brought the fire on this night, energizing his squad to the tune of a season-best 11 kills and team highs of eight digs and two service aces. Syftestad hit a season-high .486 (21-4-35), with Colbert at .429 (11-2-21).
Junior setter Milosh Stojcic, who turned 21 years old on Tuesday, just missed the 50-assist mark for a second match in a row, settling for 49 while adding three digs, one ace, a block assist and a solitary kill on one attempt. Redshirt freshman outside hitter Xander Jimenez (eight kills, four digs, team-high three blocks) and junior middle blocker Alec Flowers (seven on season-high .429 hitting) aided in the cause.
UCSD attacked at a season-best .430 (54-11-100) clip, its previous high at .295.
Syftestad's kills in fact accounted for UCSD's final two points for the third match in succession during this win streak, with tonight's late heroics pushing him over 20.
Tuesday's initial frame was the tightest of the evening, featuring 14 tie scores and five lead changes. UCSD used a pair of 3-0 mini-runs to break ties of 9-9 and 14-14 and force Princeton's two timeouts. Both times, however, the Tigers rallied. At 21-21, Jimenez followed up his own kill by serving his lone ace. Princeton notched the next point, but Syftestad's kill gave the Tritons set point. Junior Luke La Mont, who had missed the previous four matches due to injury, entered for the first time, with his strong serve leading to a fierce kill by Flowers.
The Tritons controlled the second set throughout, hitting .615 (17-1-26) as a team with Colbert particularly stellar on defense. His two big digs on one sequence enabled a Syftestad kill for an 8-7 early edge. The Belmont product immediately then served an ace, and on the very next point, had another key dig on another Syftestad kill that caused Princeton's first timeout. That signified the end of the second of a trio of 4-0 runs by the home side in game two. Later, Jimenez went deftly off the block right up against the net on the left side, with Syftestad's impressive spike off of a tough Stojcic set making it a 17-11 lead.
There were 14 more tie scores and four lead changes in the third. Flowers' solo denial of Junior Oboh made it a 13-13 game midway through. A pancake dig by Colbert kept another rally alive for a Princeton attack error that pulled UCSD to within two at 19-17, but the visitors were able to hang on and extend the contest.
The Tritons tallied the first three points in the fourth and were never caught. Redshirt junior middle blocker Bryan Zhu (San Diego/Rancho Bernardo HS) came off the bench for the first time and started the set, with his forceful kill giving his team a 4-1 lead. Zhu would complete the game with three kills on six swings (.500), an ace and two block assists.
A sideline bump set by Jimenez with his back to the court was spiked down by Colbert for 18-14. Colbert came up with one last incredible dug moments later, but Syftestad's attack was awry as Princeton got back to within one at 18-17, but that was as close as they would come. The night's only triple block, by Jimenez, Syftestad and Zhu on Greg Luck, made it 23-19. Luck and Syftestad then traded two kills apiece to determine the result.
Princeton put four players in double-figure kills in Luck (13), Parker Dixon (13), Encinitas native Kendall Ratter (12) and George Huhmann (11). Oboh added nine. Senior setter Jonah May handed out 54 assists. Huhmann served three aces to lead all players, while Luck and Ratter shared the match high of nine digs.
UC San Diego travels to Los Angeles this Saturday, Feb. 4, resuming Mountain Pacific Sports Federation play against the USC Trojans. First serve inside the Galen Center is slated for just after 7 p.m.
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