SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. - The University of California San Diego women's volleyball team saw its season come to an end Thursday as it dropped a five set decision to Alaska Anchorage in a NCAA Division II West Regional quarterfinal at The Den on the campus of Cal State San Bernardino. Scores were 22-25, 25-23, 25-18, 21-25, and 16-14.
UC San Diego, the tournament's fifth seed, finished its 2019 campaign at 18-9. Fourth seeded UAA improved to 23-6 and will face No. 1 Cal State San Bernardino in a semifinal Friday.
Senior middle blocker Jessica Rieble and sophomore outside hitter Trinity Castaneda each put away 16 kills for the Tritons. Rieble, who entered the contest ranked fifth nationally in hitting percentage (.401), swung at .375 (16-3-35) against the Seawolves. Junior outside Emily Hubbard recorded her sixth double-double with 14 kills and 11 digs while dropping a career best five service aces. Senior libero Alyson Penrose led all players defensively with 14 digs.
The Tritons were out-blocked 13-5 and managed to hit just .155 (59-34-161) for the match. Their best set offensively was the fourth when they hit .286 (13-5-28).
UAA hit .264 (50-17-125) and was paced by Eve Stephens, who finished with 14 kills, seven digs, and six blocks. Kayla McGlathery had seven blocks (one solo) and Vera Pluharova had six (one solo).
It was the final career match for seniors Claudia Mathews, Penrose, Rieble, and Sydney Tekstra.
Thursday's match was the second meeting between UC San Diego and Alaska Anchorage this season. The Tritons took a 3-1 victory back on Sept. 7 in Anchorage. They are now 5-1 all-time against the Seawolves.
UC San Diego was playing in the NCAA Division II Tournament for the 15th time since becoming a DII program in 2000. Overall, the Tritons have qualified for NCAA postseason play in 34 of the last 39 seasons. This was the team's final match as a Division II member as the school's entire athletics program begins a four year transition to NCAA Division I in July of 2020. The volleyball team will become a member of the Big West Conference.Â
Friday's other semifinal features No. 2 Western Washington against No. 6 Azusa Pacific. The championship match is slated for Saturday and the winner will be one of eight teams nationwide to advance to the NCAA Championships, which run Dec. 12-14 in Denver.
NCAA WEST REGIONALÂ SCHEDULE/RESULTS
Thursday, Dec. 5Â - Quarterfinals
No. 6 Azusa Pacific 3, No. 3 Cal State LA 0
No. 2 Western Washington 3, No. 7 Hawai'i Hilo 0
No. 4 Alaska Anchorage 3, No. 5 UC San Diego 2
No. 1 Cal State San Bernardino 3, No. 8 Central Washington 0
Friday, Dec. 6Â - Semifinals
5 p.m.: No. 2 Western Washington vs. No. 6 Azusa Pacific
7:30 p.m.: No. 1 Cal State San Bernardino vs. No. 4 Alaska Anchorage
Saturday, Dec. 7Â - Final
7 p.m.: West Region Championship Match
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About UC San Diego Athletics
With 30 national team championships, nearly 150 individual titles, and the top student-athlete graduation rate among Division II institutions in the United States, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program annually ranks as one of the most successful in the country. The Tritons sponsor 23 intercollegiate sport programs that compete on the NCAA Division I and II levels and, in the summer of 2020, begin a four-year transition into full Division I status as a member of the Big West Conference. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's pre-eminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 91 percent. A total of 82 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 37 have earned prestigious NCAA Post-Graduate Scholarships. In competition, almost 1,400 UC San Diego scholar-athletes have earned All-America honors.
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