LA JOLLA, Calif. -Â Backed by a season high .360 hitting percentage, the University of California San Diego men's volleyball team defeated UCLA, the third-ranked team in the nation, in straight sets Friday evening. It was the first win for the Tritons over the Bruins since 2012.
Scores of the non-conference match at RIMAC Arena were 25-22, 25-17, and 25-21. UC San Diego improved to 3-1 while UCLA dropped to 3-1.
The Tritons put down 41 kills with just nine errors in 89 attack attempts to record their best hitting percentage since swinging at .447 against UC Merced on Jan. 11, 2018. Twice tonight they hit over .370 in a set, including a .379 (14-3-29) clip in the third frame.
UC San Diego's outside hitters provided a large chunk of the team's offense. Kyle McCauley, the reigning AVCA National Player of the Week and Big West Conference Player of the Week, had a match high 14 points on 13 kills and a service ace. He hit .333. Wyatt Harrison was just behind with 13 points on 11 kills and a pair of aces. He hit .357.
Middle blocker Shane Benetz and opposite hitter Collin Shannon mirrored each other's stats - six kills, one error, 13 attempts for a .385 hitting percentage. Shannon also recorded a match best 10 digs and tacked on three blocks to his totals. Middle Logan Clark hit .500 with four kills and no errors in eight swings.
Setter Connor Walbrecht not only paced the Tritons to their solid attack numbers by assisting on 28 kills, he also added eight digs and two blocks.
UCLA hit .179 (31-16-84). Austin Matautia led with 10 kills and a .474 attack percentage. Alex Knight had five kills and Mads Kyed Jensen finished with six digs.
There were only five lead changes in the match, three of those coming in the third set.
The Tritons' last win over the Bruins came on March 30, 2012, in four sets at RIMAC Arena. Â
After starting its season with four straight home matches, UC San Diego plays its first road contest on Saturday, Jan. 18, as it travels to Grand Canyon (2-2) in Phoenix. First serve is slated for 6 p.m. (PT) and all action can be followed with live video and live stats.
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).
