LA JOLLA, Calif. - A strong attack and a big block led the University of California San Diego men's volleyball team to a straight set victory against Vassar Wednesday night at RIMAC Arena. Scores were 25-21, 25-17, and 25-18.
With the win, UC San Diego improved to 2-1. It was Vassar's first contest of the season.
The Tritons hit .338 on the night, putting away 30 kills with just seven errors in 68 attack attempts. They really turned it on in the third frame, compiling a .375 percentage with 11 kills and two errors in 24 swings.
They have hit over .300 in two of three matches so far.
UC San Diego also had its play at the net dialed in, out-blocking its opponent 11.5-2.5. Seven Tritons had multiple blocks including Shane Benetz (5), Logan Clark (4), Kyle McCauley (3), Connor Walbrecht (3), Gabe Avillion (2), Ryan Ka (2), and Collin Shannon (2).
It was the team's best blocking performance since amassing 14.5 against Big West Conference opponent CSUN in April of 2019.
Outside hitter Wyatt Harrison paced the Tritons offensively with 13 kills on .391 (13-4-23)Â hitting. He also had a service ace and three digs.
McCauley, the reigning AVCA National Player of the Week and Big West Player of the Week, had four kills with a .333 (4-0-12)Â attack percentage and three digs.
Ka, who was playing in his first career match, finished with three kills and two digs to go along with his two blocks. The redshirt freshman hit .750 with no errors in four attempts.
Libero Matt Palma had a match best five digs.
Vassar, which had 17 errors from the service line, hit .161 (35-20-93). Gavin van Beverin had nine kills and Kevin Ros was just behind with eight.
The Tritons remained perfect in the all-time series against the Brewers, improving to 3-0.
Vassar is located in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., and competes in the NCAA Division III United Volleyball Conference.
To conclude a four match home stand, UC San Diego hosts No. 3 UCLA (3-0) on Friday, Jan. 17. The Bruins have recorded victories against Daemen, George Mason, and Princeton. First serve is set for 7 p.m. and the match will be broadcast live on ESPN3.
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, will 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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For complete coverage and information regarding UC San Diego Athletics, follow the Tritons online at UCSDTritons.com and through social media on Twitter (@UCSDTritons), Instagram (@UCSDTritons) and Facebook (UCSDTritons). To stay tuned in to UC San Diego Men's Volleyball, follow the team's Instagram (@UCSDmvb)Â or visit the Tritons on Twitter (@UCSDmvb).
