NORTHRIDGE, Calif. – Beginning another weekend of conference action on the road, the UC San Diego women's volleyball team (9-8, 1-4 Big West) earned an impressive three set sweep over CSUN (2-14, 0-5) on Friday evening.  
 
It was a huge night for Nevada Knowles, who recorded a career-high seven service aces to lead the Tritons offense while also contributing 26 assists. Emily McDaniel and Ava McInnes both reached double digits in kills against the Matadors, while on the defensive end Natalie Repetti led the way with 10 digs in the Tritons' fourth road win of the season.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Getting the action started in Northridge, the visiting Tritons were able to get off to a fast start by taking an early 8-5 lead thanks to a trio of aces from Knowles. CSUN was able to settle back in to take a lead midway through the set before UC San Diego took over for good. Ahead by six points late, Lauren Brooker delivered the set-winning kill off a Knowles assist to put the Tritons ahead early.
 
Building off the momentum from their strong finish to the first set, the Tritons took an early 9-6 lead thanks to a pair of kills from McDaniel. The rest of the set would tighten significantly as there would be 10 different ties before UC San Diego would take control. Followed by another kill from McInnes, a bad set by the Matadors pushed the Tritons over the line to win the second set by a 28-26 margin.
 
Seeking the sweep and their first conference win, the Tritons made sure to take the life out of the Matadors early with a 12-4 run to begin the set highlighted by consecutive Jasmine Saran service aces forcing CSUN into a timeout. The hometown Matadors attempted a late comeback to get the score within four points, but UC San Diego received a great block from both Shara Da Silva and Knowles to win the third set 25-20 to secure the sweep.
 
TRITONS TIDBITS

• Knowles' huge night in Northridge saw her providing strong contributions all over the court for her team, as she totaled seven service aces, nine digs and posted a .400 hitting percentage on Friday.
• With her 11 kills tonight, McDaniel has now reached that exact number three times this season, as she had 11 kills earlier this season against both San Diego State and Denver.
• Tonight's win marked the fifth straight match that UC San Diego has bested CSUN, as the all-time record between the programs sits at 5-10.  

UP NEXT
The Tritons will now continue their road trip heading north to face off with Cal State Bakersfield (5-11, 1-3 Big West) on Friday Oct. 7 at 4:00 p.m. Tomorrow's match will be broadcast on ESPN+ with live statistics available on UCSDTritons.com.
 
About UC San Diego Athletics
After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program began a new era in 2020 as a member of The Big West in NCAA Division I. The 23-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions II and III and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 84 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 38 have earned prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 91 percent, one of the highest rates among institutions at all divisions.