IRVINE, Calif.—Making its first-ever appearance at the Big West Women's Volleyball Championship Wednesday, UC San Diego was defeated, 3-1, by Long Beach State in the first round.

Set scores from Bren Events Center on the campus of host UC Irvine went 25-17, 23-25, 25-23, and 25-23 in favor of the Beach.

UC San Diego, which came in as the No. 5 seed, finishes its season at 17-13. Fourth-seeded Long Beach State improved to 19-10 and will face top-seeded Cal Poly Friday in a semifinal.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Neither team was especially effective on offense, with UC San Diego hitting .181 (54-26-155) and Long Beach coming in at .222 (61-26-158). UC San Diego's best offensive effort came in the third set as it swung at .237 (14-5-38). Long Beach hit .314 (14-3-35) in the opening set.

Defensively, the Beach was tough at the net, finishing with an 11-5 advantage in blocks. They also held a 61-53 lead in digs.

Individually, UC San Diego's Kylie Pries put down a career-high and match-best 20 kills. Molly McCluskey had 14 while hitting .417 (14-4-24). She matched her kill total with 14 digs. Libero Paulina Baillie amassed a match-best 18 digs. Audrey Hollis assisted on 45 kills.

Natalie Glenn led Long Beach with 19 kills and a .485 (19-3-33) attack. Abby Karish had 15 kills and Madi Maxwell put away 10. Five players had multiple blocks for the Beach, including Ella Lomigora (7), Maxwell (5), Zayna Meyer (4), Glenn (3), and Maura Hayes (2). Karish and Jenna Giambi had 12 digs each.

There were 18 tie scores in the match, 13 of those coming during the third set. That frame also saw five lead changes.

AVA MCINNES/MELANIE GREENE INTERVIEW


TRITON TIDBITS
• 2024 is the first season that the Tritons are eligible for conference and NCAA postseason play. They completed their four-year transition into full NCAA Division I status following their 2023 campaign. 
• The Tritons clinched their inaugural berth in the Big West Championship with a win against Cal State Bakersfield in their final regular season match.
• Ava McInnes had at least 10 kills in 21 of 30 matches played this season.
• Tritons leaders for the season include Paulina Baillie (410 digs and 31 aces), Emily McDaniel (118 blocks), McInnes (341 kills), and Audrey Hollis (921 assists).
• UC San Diego is 0-9 all-time against Long Beach State.
• Triton starters were Hollis, Molly McCluskey, McInnes, Kylie Pries, and Jasmine Saran.
 
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.