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UC San Diego

Team Huddle

Men's Volleyball

Three Match Week for Tritons, USC at RIMAC Arena Thursday

THE SCHEDULE
Match 11
Tuesday • Feb. 4 • 7 p.m.
RV UC San Diego (7-3) at No. 14 Concordia (5-3)
CU Arena • Irvine, Calif.
Series Record: Tied 5-5
Live Video • Live Stats

Match 12 - Blue and Gold Night
Thursday • Feb. 6 • 7 p.m.
RV UC San Diego (7-3) vs. USC (2-7)
RIMAC Arena • La Jolla, Calif.
Series Record: USC leads 46-9
ESPN3 • Live Stats • Tickets • Parking

Match 13
Saturday • Feb. 8 • 7 p.m.
RV UC San Diego (7-3) vs. Vanguard (5-1)
RIMAC Arena • La Jolla, Calif.
Series Record: Have not met
ESPN3 • Live Stats • Tickets • Parking

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BLUE AND GOLD NIGHT
Thursday will be Blue and Gold Night at RIMAC Arena. The first 500 students will receive a free Blue and Gold t-shirt!

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EVENT PARKING
Parking permits are required seven days a week on campus. For UC San Diego Parking information, click here or download the Parkmobile smartphone or web application. Fans coming to RIMAC Arena are encouraged to park in the Hopkins Structure. Click here for a campus map.

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WE'RE ON ESPN3!
For the second consecutive season, all UC San Diego home matches will be broadcast live by ESPN3. ESPN3 events are available through the ESPN website (espn.com/watch), the ESPN app on mobile devices, or on connected streaming devices (Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Xbox One, PS4, etc.). To access live ESPN3 programming, you must authenticate on the website or in the app using your video/cable provider account. Non-participating TV provider customers may have access to ESPN3 programming online at WatchESPN.com as long as they subscribe to a participating high speed internet service provider. Users accessing WatchESPN.com or the WatchESPN or ESPN mobile applications via an on-campus (.edu) or on-base (.mil) network receive complimentary access to ESPN3 content. More information about accessing live ESPN3 content is available at this link.

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ABOUT UC SAN DIEGO
Roster | Schedule | Statistics
• Overall: 7-3
• Big West: 0-0
• Home: 4-2
• Away: 1-1
• Neutral: 2-0
• Streak: Lost 1
• AVCA national ranking: Receiving votes
• Big West Preseason Poll: 6th of 6

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UC SAN DIEGO ROSTER BREAKDOWN
Starters Returning (4)
• Logan Clark (So., MB)
• Wyatt Harrison (Jr., OH)
• Collin Shannon (Jr., OPP)
• Connor Walbrecht (Sr., S)

Primary Liberos Returning (1)
• Ryan Lew (Sr.)

Starters Lost (2)
• Xander Jimenez (OH)
• Vlad Pesic (MB)

Others Returning (10)
• Gabe Avillion (R-So., MB)
• Shane Benetz (So., MB)
• Blake Crisp (So., S)
• Bryce Curtis (Jr., OH)
• Macune Gilruth (R-So., OPP)
• Ryan Ka (R-Fr., OH)
• Berkeley Miesfeld (So., OPP)
• Matt Palma (So., L)
• Marco Posada (R-Fr., OH/OPP)
• Michael Urdahl (R-Fr., MB)

Others Lost (4)
• Alex Biz (OH)
• Connor Leech (OH)
• Leor Schiffer (OH)
• Sean Staskus (OH)

Newcomers (6)
• Will Campbell (Fr., S)
• Kyle McCauley (Jr., OH)
• Adam Sevier (Fr., MB)
• Charlie Siragusa (So., OH)
• Ryan Swartz (Fr., OH)
• Camden Winter (Fr., MB)

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ABOUT CONCORDIA
Roster | Schedule | Statistics
• Overall: 5-3
• MPSF: 1-0
• Home: 1-0
• Away: 3-2
• Neutral: 1-1
• Streak: Won 1
• AVCA national ranking: 14
• MPSF Preseason Poll: 7th of 7

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ABOUT USC
Roster | Schedule | Statistics
• Overall: 2-7
• MPSF: 0-1
• Home: 1-2
• Away: 1-3
• Neutral: 0-2
• Streak: Lost 1
• AVCA national ranking: Not ranked
• MPSF Preseason Poll: T-5th of 7

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ABOUT VANGUARD
Roster | Schedule | Statistics
• Overall: 5-1
• GSAC: 3-0
• Home: 2-1
• Away: 3-0
• Neutral: 0-0
• Streak: Won 3
• AVCA national ranking: Receiving votes (NAIA)
• GSAC Preseason Poll: 5th of 8

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ROCK THE VOTE
On Jan. 27, UC San Diego came in at No. 15 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) National Poll, its first national ranking since 2013. The Tritons were ranked for four consecutive weeks over the 2013 season, climbing as high as No. 12 on Jan. 21. The highest the Tritons have ever been ranked is eighth in March of 2009. Overall, they have been listed in the top 15 nationally on 74 occasions and in the top 10 nine times.

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2020 HONOR ROLL
• Wyatt Harrison: Big West Player of the Week (1/27), Off the Block National Outside Hitter of the Week (1/27), Off the Block National Offensive Player of the Night (1/17), Lindenwood Invitational All-Tournament Team (1/26), UCSDtritons.com Athlete of the Week (1/20)
• Ryan Lew: Big West Defensive Player of the Week (1/27)
• Kyle McCauley: AVCA National Player of the Week (1/14), Big West Player of the Week (1/13), UCSDtritons.com Athlete of the Week (1/13)
• Connor Walbrecht: Off the Block National Offensive Player of the Night (1/9)

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LEW HAS A FEW
Senior libero Ryan Lew has moved into the top three on UC San Diego's career digs list:
1. Eric Lesserman, 885 (2006-09)
2. Chase Frishman, 674 (2010-13)
3. Ryan Lew, 615 (2017-present)

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UC SAN DIEGO NATIONAL STAT RANKINGS
6. Blocks/Set, 2.6
11. Assists/Set, 11.6
13. Kills/Set, 12.3
16. Hitting Percentage, .287
17. Digs/Set, 9.1
19. Attacks/Set, 27.1

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TRITON NATIONAL STAT RANKINGS
7. Kyle McCauley, Kills/Set, 4.1
8. Shane Benetz, Blocks/Set, 1.2
10. Kyle McCauley, Points/Set, 4.6
10. Connor Walbrecht, Assists/Set, 10.1
16. Logan Clark, Blocks/Set, 1.1
18. Shane Benetz, Hitting Percentage, .354
20. Kyle McCauley, Attacks/Set, 8.1

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AN UPSET WAS BRUIN
On Jan. 17 at RIMAC Arena, UC San Diego rolled to a 3-0 victory over third-ranked UCLA. It was the first time the Tritons had defeated the Bruins since March 30, 2012. UCLA was ranked No. 3 in the nation at that time as well. The last time the Tritons swept the Bruins was on April 1, 2011 in Westwood.

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MCCAULEY EARNS BIG TIME HONORS
On Jan. 14, junior outside hitter Kyle McCauley was named the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) National Player of the Week to go along with his Big West Conference Player of the Week title earned the day before. In his first season with the Tritons after transferring from Orange Coast College, McCauley averaged 4.6 kills and 5.3 points while hitting .413 over two matches at RIMAC Arena. In his debut, he had match highs with 20 kills and 24 points to help the Tritons to a thrilling five set win over No. 11 Loyola. He also added six digs, two aces, and two blocks and hit .361 vs. the Ramblers. Two nights later against No. 6 Lewis, McCauley posted match highs with 17 kills and 18 points. He also had a team best six digs plus two blocks and hit .481 against the Flyers. McCauley is the fifth AVCA National Player of the Week to come out of UC San Diego. The program's last was opposite hitter Tanner Syftestad in January of 2018. He is the first Triton to win Big West Player of the Week since opposite Collin Shannon picked up the honor in February of 2019.

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BIG RANKINGS FOR THE BIG WEST
Four Big West Conference teams can be found in this week's AVCA Top 15 National Poll:
1. Hawai'i
3. UC Santa Barbara
4. UC Irvine
5. Long Beach State
Receiving votes: UC San Diego

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BIG WEST STANDINGS
(through 2/3)
Hawai'i 0-0, 9-0
Long Beach State, 0-0, 5-1
UC Santa Barbara, 0-0, 6-2
UC San Diego, 0-0, 7-3
UC Irvine, 0-0, 5-3
CSUN, 0-0, 2-7

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CLARK, CRISP NAMED TO BIG WEST ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
Logan Clark and Blake Crisp were selected to the 2019 Big West Conference All-Freshman Team. Clark, a middle blocker, averaged 1.9 points and 1.4 kills per set over 21 matches (13 starts). He was fourth on the team with 38 total blocks. Crisp saw time in 25 matches with 10 starts. The setter totaled 365 assists, good for a 6.0 average. UC San Diego has produced three Big West All-Freshman Team performers as outside hitter Wyatt Harrison was recognized in 2018.

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FIVE TRITONS EARN BIG WEST ACADEMIC ALL-CONFERENCE HONORS
Gabe Avillion, Bryce Curtis, Xander Jimenez, Ryan Lew, and Collin Shannon were all named to the 2019 Big West Academic All-Conference Team. To be eligible for the award, student-athletes have to maintain at least a 3.0 cumulative grade point average, complete one full year at the member institution prior to the season for which the award is being received (at least a sophomore academically), and have competed in at least 50 percent of their team's contests. Jimenez and Lew were Big West Academic All-Conference honorees in 2018 as well.

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SHANNON NAMED 2019 ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT
Collin Shannon was named a Google Cloud Academic All-District selection in 2019, the first ever Triton from the men's volleyball team to earn the accolade. To be considered, a student-athlete must have strong athletic credentials as a starter or important reserve, hold at least a 3.30 GPA, and be of sophomore standing or above.

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RING GETS 100th VICTORY
With a 3-0 sweep over Lindenwood at RIMAC Arena on March 12, 2019, UC San Diego head coach Kevin Ring notched his 100th win with the Tritons. 

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AVCA NATIONAL POLL
(2/3)
1. Hawai'i
2. BYU
3. UC Santa Barbara
4. UC Irvine
5. Long Beach State
6. Lewis
7. UCLA
8. Pepperdine
9. Penn State
10. Purdue Fort Wayne
11. George Mason
12. Princeton
13. Stanford
14. Concordia Irvine
15. Ohio State
Receiving votes: Grand Canyon, UC San Diego, NJIT

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2020 BIG WEST PRESEASON POLL
1. Hawai'i (6 first place votes), 36 points
2. UC Santa Barbara, 28
3. Long Beach State, 23
4. UC Irvine, 19
5. CSUN, 13
6. UC San Diego, 7

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FINAL 2019 BIG WEST STANDINGS
1. Long Beach State, 10-0
2. Hawai'i, 8-2
3. UC Irvine, 5-5
4. UC Santa Barbara, 4-6
5. CSUN, 3-7
6. UC San Diego, 0-10 

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HEAD COACH KEVIN RING
Now in his 15th season heading up the UC San Diego Men's Volleyball program in 2020, Kevin Ring currently owns a 108-298 (.266) overall record at the school. With a 3-0 sweep over Lindenwood at RIMAC Arena on March 12, 2019, Ring notched his 100th win with the Tritons. Ring got his start as the Tritons' team manager from 1989-91 before playing for the team for three seasons. He was an assistant coach for nine years and was named head coach in June of 2005. He has also been extensively involved with USA Volleyball. Ring earned two degrees from UC San Diego, graduating with a bachelor's degree in biochemistry in 1996, followed by a master's in chemistry in 1998.

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BIG (WEST) NEWS FOR UC SAN DIEGO ATHLETICS
On Nov. 27, 2017, UC San Diego was officially invited to become a member of the NCAA Division I Big West Conference. The Tritons begin a four-year reclassification period starting in July of 2020. During the transition, UC San Diego will be eligible for National Collegiate Championships in men's volleyball, men's and women's water polo, and men's and women's fencing. For the 2024-25 academic year, all sports will be eligible to compete in Big West and NCAA Division I Championships. Men's volleyball became an associate member of the Big West for the 2018 season and women's water polo  joins the conference in the spring of 2020. Read the full press release here.

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NCAA MEN'S VOLLEYBALL LANDSCAPE
The NCAA combines Division I and Division II teams into a single national championship, while Division III squads have a stand-alone championship. There are 47 Division I and Division II teams combined, with 38 of those making up five conferences. Another nine institutions are independent.
Big West (6)
CSUN
Hawai'i
Long Beach State
UC Irvine
UC San Diego (DII)
UC Santa Barbara

Conference Carolinas (9)
Barton (DII)
Belmont Abbey (DII)
Emmanuel (Ga.) (DII)
Erskine (DII)
King (Tenn.) (DII)
Lees-McRae (DII)
Limestone (DII)
Mount Olive (DII)
North Greenville (DII)

Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (8)
Charleston (WVa.) (DII)
George Mason
Harvard
NJIT
Penn State
Princeton
Sacred Heart
Saint Francis (Pa.)

Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (8)
Ball State
Lewis (DII)
Lindenwood (DII)
Loyola
McKendree (DII)
Ohio State
Purdue Fort Wayne
Quincy (DII)

Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (7)
BYU
Concordia (Calif.) (DII)
Grand Canyon
Pepperdine
Stanford
UCLA
USC

Independent (9)
Alderson Broaddus (DII)
Coker (DII)
Daemen (DII)
Lincoln Memorial (DII)
Puerto Rico at Bayamon (DII)
Puerto Rico at Mayagüez (DII)
Puerto Rico at Rio Piedras (DII)
Queens (NC) (DII)
Urbana (DII)

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FOR THE YOUNGER CROWD
Got some young Triton fans in your family? If they are in eighth grade or under, check out the Junior Triton Club. Membership includes a free t-shirt, admission to over 100 UC San Diego home athletic events, and much more!

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BE SOCIAL!
UC San Diego Athletics on Facebook (UCSDtritons)
UC San Diego Athletics on Instagram (UCSDtritons)
UC San Diego Athletics on Twitter (@UCSDtritons)
UC San Diego Men's Volleyball on Instagram (ucsdmvb)
UC San Diego Men's Volleyball on Twitter (@ucsdmvb)

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UP NEXT
After playing 13 non-conference matches, UC San Diego opens its third Big West season next week, traveling to UC Irvine on Feb. 15 for a 7 p.m. contest.

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.

Follow the Tritons
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) or visit the Tritons on Twitter (@UCSDmvb).

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Players Mentioned

Tanner Syftestad

#22 Tanner Syftestad

OPP/S
6' 8"
Senior
Alex Biz

#19 Alex Biz

OH
6' 7"
Redshirt Freshman
Xander Jimenez

#15 Xander Jimenez

OH
6' 4"
Redshirt Junior
Connor Leech

#11 Connor Leech

OH
6' 4"
Redshirt Freshman
Vlad Pesic

#12 Vlad Pesic

MB
6' 8"
Redshirt Sophomore
Leor Schiffer

#18 Leor Schiffer

OH
6' 4"
Junior
Sean Staskus

#20 Sean Staskus

OH
6' 4"
Redshirt Freshman
Gabe Avillion

#3 Gabe Avillion

MB
6' 6"
Redshirt Sophomore
Shane Benetz

#16 Shane Benetz

MB
6' 6"
Sophomore
Logan Clark

#2 Logan Clark

MB
6' 7"
Sophomore

Players Mentioned

Tanner Syftestad

#22 Tanner Syftestad

6' 8"
Senior
OPP/S
Alex Biz

#19 Alex Biz

6' 7"
Redshirt Freshman
OH
Xander Jimenez

#15 Xander Jimenez

6' 4"
Redshirt Junior
OH
Connor Leech

#11 Connor Leech

6' 4"
Redshirt Freshman
OH
Vlad Pesic

#12 Vlad Pesic

6' 8"
Redshirt Sophomore
MB
Leor Schiffer

#18 Leor Schiffer

6' 4"
Junior
OH
Sean Staskus

#20 Sean Staskus

6' 4"
Redshirt Freshman
OH
Gabe Avillion

#3 Gabe Avillion

6' 6"
Redshirt Sophomore
MB
Shane Benetz

#16 Shane Benetz

6' 6"
Sophomore
MB
Logan Clark

#2 Logan Clark

6' 7"
Sophomore
MB

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