LA JOLLA, Calif. —Â
Gabriel Dyer posted match-highs with 27 assists and seven digs to help lead the UC San Diego men's volleyball team to a sweep over Westcliff Tuesday at LionTree Arena.
Set scores went 26-24, 25-17, and 25-10.
UC San Diego improved to 6-6 overall while Westcliff dropped to 1-6.
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HOW IT HAPPENED
UC San Diego used a .348 hitting percentage, a 13-4 advantage in blocks, and a 9-2 edge in service aces to pick up the victory. The Tritons' block total was a season best and their nine aces were the second most they have floored in 2023.
Westcliff was held to a .000 attack with 23 kills and 23 errors in 75 attempts.
The opening set saw the Warriors come out of the gate strong as they rolled to a 5-0 lead. Westcliff stayed in front up until 20-15. At that point, the Tritons came alive and peeled off seven unanswered points to ahead by a score of 22-20.
Ryan Ka and
Josh Schellinger each had a pair of kills and
Nick Rigo had two blocks during the run. Westcliff came back to take a 24-23 advantage, but UC San Diego struck for three straight points on a Schellinger kill and ace plus a block by Ka and Rigo.
The Tritons hit .565 in the second set and elevated that number to .600 in the third frame.
The second set stayed close early before UC San Diego used a 6-1 run to go up 14-10. The Warriors got back to within a single point at 14-15, but a four-point spree by the Tritons widened the gap enough to stay ahead and take a 2-0 lead in the match.
UC San Diego got out to a 4-1 lead in the third set and never trailed. A 6-0 run broke it wide open for the Tritons, giving them a substantial 14-5 advantage.
Jim Garrison put down two aces in that run.
Ka led all players with 12 kills and Schellinger was just behind with 11. Rigo was solid at the net, finishing with eight block assists. Ka finished with three solo blocks and four block assists.
Gabriel Pizza had nine kills for the Warriors.
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WHAT SETTER GABE DYER HAD TO SAY
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TRITON TIDBITS
• This was the first meeting between UC San Diego and Westcliff.
• Nine Tritons have made their collegiate debuts so far this season:
Evan Boyle,
Joshua Ewert,
Jim Garrison,
Michael Robertson,
Brett Pursley,
Josh Schellinger,
Peter Selcho,
Sam Warren,
Zachary Weston.
•
Brad Rostratter, who was named UC San Diego's head coach on Oct. 7, 2022, earned his first win with the Tritons on Jan. 5 when they defeated Lincoln Memorial.
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UP NEXT
UC San Diego plays at Concordia on February 21 before getting into Big West action on February 24 by hosting CSUN. Tickets for all home matches are available through the
Triton Box Office.Â
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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 83 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 90 percent, the highest rate among public institutions in Divisions I and II.
