ANTE BUZOV, MEN'S WATER POLO, JR., UTILITY 

Junior Ante Buzov registered the second hat trick of his first season as a Triton in a tight 10-9 loss against Big West opponent UC Irvine at home. He also finished with three steals and two drawn exclusions. Buzov scored the game's first goal just 59 seconds into the opening quarter and his other two came in the third period. All three gave UC San Diego a one-goal lead and two of his scores came during power play situations. The three goals were a team high in the game and also matched the transfer's career high.

NEVADA KNOWLES, WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL, JR., SETTER

Nevada Knowles set UC San Diego's Division I single match record for service aces, collecting seven in a 3-0 sweep at CSUN. She followed it up the next day with four more aces in a 3-1 victory at Cal State Bakersfield, totaling 11 for the weekend (1.57 per set). The junior setter collected 48 assists (6.86 per set) and directed the Tritons' offense to .262 team hitting percentage in a 2-0 weekend. Additionally, she finished second on the team with 17 total digs (2.43 per set). Knowles finished one dig shy of a double-double against the Matadors with 26 assists and nine digs, and collected 22 assists and eight digs the next day against the Roadrunners.

MITCHELL WILSON, MEN'S SOCCER, SR., GOALKEEPER 

In UC San Diego's opening week of Big West play, Mitchell Wilson led the Tritons to a 1-0-1 result, allowing no goals in over 180 minutes of play. Facing a total of 28 shots and making 12 saves, Wilson recorded two clean sheets, shutting out both teams. On Saturday, Wilson earned a career game-high nine saves at Sacramento State after the teams drew even at 0-0. The nine saves are the second highest saves in Big West play and the third highest for a single game so far this season. The senior is third in the conference for saves per game at 4.14/game.

RAQUEL KALPAKOFF, WOMEN'S SOCCER, JR., FORWARD

UC San Diego junior Raquel Kalpakoff netted the game-winning goal as the Tritons earned a come-from-behind 3-1 victory at UC Davis on Sunday. Combined with her goal Thursday night at Hawai'i, Kalpakoff has scored five goals this season – third most in The Big West – over just seven matches played off the bench. With her fifth goal of the season on Sunday, the junior has now equaled the UC San Diego program record for most goals scored in a season during the Tritons' Division I era. Today marks the second time that Kalpakoff has been selected as the women's Athlete of the Week for the 2023-24 athletic year. 

LANDON AKERSTROM, MEN'S WATER POLO, FR., ATTACKER

Freshman Landon Akerstrom racked up a team co-high 14 points on 10 goals and four assists over four games at the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) Invitational in Los Angeles. His 10 goals were the most scored by any Triton at the tournament. Akerstrom established a new career high by finding the back of the net four times in a win against Occidental. He also had hat tricks against #4 Pepperdine and #14 California Baptist. Akerstrom assisted on two goals against both #12 UC Irvine and California Baptist. UC San Diego went 2-2 at the tourney. Overall this season, Akerstrom leads UC San Diego in points (41), goals (28), and shots (58) and is second in steals (19). He has scored in 13 of 14 games with multiple goals in nine contests.

ISABELLE SHEPHERD, WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY, SENIOR

Leading both Triton cross country squads at the Cougar Challenge, senior Isabelle Shepherd took second place out of 190 runners. Shepherd helped the women to a third place finish as a team and posted a career-best finish for herself with a time of 20:52.4. The senior has led the women's side as the top finisher in all three meets so far this season. Today marks the second time that Shepherd has been selected as the women's Athlete of the Week for the 2023-24 athletic year. 

AVA MCINNES, WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL, JR., OUTSIDE HITTER

Ava McInnes led the Tritons to a perfect 3-0 weekend at the TSU/Belmont Invitational in Nashville. The junior outside hitter was named tournament MVP for her performance, collecting 59 kills (4.92 per set) and totaling 67.5 points (5.63 per set). McInnes recorded a season-high 24 kills and 27.5 points in a four-set victory at Tennessee State and led the Tritons with 11 digs for her second double-double of the season. McInnes also led UC San Diego in kills (13) and blocks (5) against Jackson State and capped the weekend with a 22-kill performance against Belmont. She extended a 15-match streak of double-figure kills dating back to last season and moved into eighth all-time in total attacks (2,855).

ROGER WU, MEN'S FENCING, FRESHMAN

UC San Diego's freshman Roger Wu made his collegiate for men's saber at the BladeRunner tournament where he earned the silver medal. After going undefeated in the pool competition, Wu was seeded at number one for the single-elimination bracket. He went undefeated for five rounds with 76 points scored before falling in the final to the No. 2 seed in a four-point difference. Out of the 90 fencers, Wu was one of four to go undefeated in the pool.

JORDAN HANEY, MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY, SENIOR

UC San Diego's senior cross country runner, Jordan Haney led the team for the second week in a row with a sixth-place finish at the Waves Invitational. Battling with Pepperdine for top position, Haney's 18:36.3 time scored three points for the Tritons, propelling the team to a first-place finish. This is the men's best finish in the Division I era led by the Carlsbad product.

ISABELLE SHEPHERD, WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY, SENIOR

Finishing in the top 15, UC San Diego's Isabelle Shepherd led the women's squad in the field of 91 runners at the Waves Invitational. Her time of 4:08.1 and 11th-place finish helped the team to tie for third with USC.

EMILY McDANIEL, WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL, JR., MIDDLE BLOCKER

Emily McDaniel was named to the all-tournament team for the second week in a row after helping the Tritons go 2-1 at the Gonzaga Tournament. The junior middle blocker averaged 1.33 blocks per set, collecting a team-high 16 blocks—including eight solo stops—over three matches. McDaniel recorded a season-high 12 kills and added three blocks on Friday against Air Force. In the second match of the day, McDaniel tallied five kills with no errors (.417) and added another three blocks to help the Tritons sweep Idaho. On Saturday, McDaniel matched her career high with 10 blocks—six solo stops—in a four-set victory over Gonzaga and added eight kills, finishing the weekend with 37.0 total points.

FELIPE FERREIRA, MEN'S WATER POLO, JR., ATTACKER

First-year Triton Felipe Ferreira had an outstanding debut weekend for 11^th-ranked UC San Diego. Over four games during the Triton Invitational in La Jolla, the junior transfer led all UC San Diego players in point production, finishing with 15 on six goals and a team-high nine assists to help the Tritons go 2-2 in a stacked field. He also produced six steals, the second-most on the team. Ferreira's top performance came in a win against No. 20 Navy when he registered five points on two goals and three assists. He also logged two steals against the Midshipmen. In a tight 11-9 loss to No. 2 USC, Ferreira had four points on a goal and three assists while adding a steal. Against California, the No. 1 team in the country and two-time defending national champion, the Brazilian had a goal and two assists plus two steals. Ferreira opened his Triton career Saturday morning with two goals, an assist, and a steal in a 17-4 win over Biola.

ALESSANDRO ALLEN, MEN'S SOCCER, SR., MIDFIELDER

Opening the season, senior Alessandro Allen has scored both goals for the Tritons on penalty kicks. In the 2022 season, Allen's lone goal of the season was his first-career PK and he is now 3-3 over his career in PKs. Allen's goals allowed UC San Diego to stay within striking distance of both Pacific and San Jose State. The senior was the Tritons' lone representative on the Big West preseason team and he is tied with two others for most goals scored across the conference.

RAQUEL KALPAKOFF, WOMEN'S SOCCER, JR., FORWARD
 

UC San Diego junior Raquel Kalpakoff had a breakout game in the season opener at Pacific. She scored three second half goals in a span of 11 minutes as the Tritons rallied from 3-0 and 4-1 second half deficits to earn a draw on the road. Her hat trick marked her first three career goals; she had only one shot on goal over her first two collegiate seasons.