LA JOLLA, Calif. - The sixth-ranked University of California San Diego men's volleyball team added another historic win to its list of 2020 accomplishments Wednesday as it swept 10th-ranked Penn State at RIMAC Arena. Scores of the non-conference contest were 25-16, 25-21, and 25-21.

The victory improved UC San Diego's overall record to 14-5. The 14 wins are the most since the team moved to the NCAA Division II ranks for the 2001 season. It was the seventh win against a nationally-ranked team for the Tritons this year.

UC San Diego used a strong attack and a potent block to stymie Penn State, which plays in the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (EIVA). The Tritons hit .315 overall with 35 kills and 12 errors in 73 attack attempts. They also totaled 11 blocks to help keep the Nittany Lions to an .092 (26-19-76) hitting percentage. UC San Diego entered the match ranked eighth in the country in opponent hitting percentage (.214) and ninth in blocks per set (2.4). With tonight's performance, opponents are swinging at just .209 for the season.

Six Tritons had multiple blocks including Shane Benetz (5), Logan Clark (5), Connor Walbrecht (4), Kyle McCauley (3), Wyatt Harrison (2), and Collin Shannon (2) Benetz ranks eighth nationally in blocks per set (1.1).

McCauley had a match-high 13 kills and hit .333 from the outside. Shannon posted six kills and Benetz, Clark, and Harrison each had five. Clark hit .556 with no errors in nine attacks. Walbrecht, the Tritons' setter, finished with 30 assists, five digs, two service aces, and a kill while leading the team to a hitting percentage of at least .300 for the 10th time this year.

Libero Ryan Lew had a match-high seven digs. The senior currently ranks third on UC San Diego's career digs list with 670 and needs just five more scoops to move into second place.

Brett Wildman had 10 kills for Penn State, which fell to 11-8. Wildman and Will Bantle each amassed seven digs.   

UC San Diego now goes on a competitive hiatus for finals week and spring break. The Tritons travel to the University of Hawai'i, currently ranked No. 2 in the country, for a pair of Big West Conference matches on March 27 and March 28. The team's next home match will be April 4 when it hosts league opponent CSUN (7 p.m.) at RIMAC Arena. All home matches are broadcast live by 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.

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).