LA JOLLA, Calif. - The 18th-ranked UC San Diego men's volleyball team is set to host Harvard Tuesday night for just the third time in program history.
The non-conference match is slated for a 7 p.m. start inside LionTree Arena in La Jolla.
The Tritons hold an 8-10 overall record and are coming off a sweep of Saint Katherine last Wednesday.
The Crimson, who are receiving votes in this week's AVCA National Poll, are 9-5 and have won their last four matches.
UC San Diego is 2-0 all-time against Harvard with four-set wins in 2019 and 2022.
Tuesday's contest will be the final non-conference match of the regular season for the Tritons.
THE ESSENTIALS
--- Match 19: Non-Conference ---
• #18 UC San Diego (8-10) vs. RVÂ
Harvard (9-5)
• Tuesday / March 12 / 7 p.m. Pacific
•
LionTree Arena / La Jolla, Calif. (
map)
•
Tickets
•
ESPN+
•Â
Live Stats
•
Twitter /
Instagram
ABOUT THE UC SAN DIEGO TRITONS
Roster |Â
Schedule & Results |Â
Statistics
• Location: La Jolla, Calif.
• Conference:
Big West
• Overall: 8-10
• Big West: 1-2
• Home: 4-4
• Away: 0-5
• Neutral: 4-1
• Streak: 1 win
• AVCA national ranking: 18
• Big West Preseason Poll: Tie for 5th of 6
ABOUT THE HARVARD CRIMSON
Roster |Â
Schedule & Results |Â
Statistics
• Location: Boston, Mass.
• Conference:
Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (EIVA)
• Overall: 9-5
• EIVA: 3-1
• Home: 5-3
• Away: 4-2
• Neutral: 0-0
• Streak: 4 wins
• AVCA national ranking: Receiving votes
• EIVA Preseason Poll: 6th of 6
TRITONS v CRIMSON: SERIES HISTORY
• All-Time: UCSD leads 2-0
• Last Meeting: 1/14/22 (
UCSD wins 3-1 in La Jolla)
• First Meeting: 1/12/19 (
UCSD wins 3-1 in Boston)
• Streak: UCSD 2 wins
CLICK IT FOR TICKETS
Single match and season tickets for all home contests inside LionTree Arena are now on sale! Please visit the
Triton Box Office to purchase.
GOT YA COVERED
All home matches (and most away matches) will be broadcast live on ESPN+ ($)Â and you can also follow with live stats (free). Direct links are available on the
team's schedule page.
FOUR ON THE FLOOR
Prior to a loss against UC Irvine on March 1, UC San Diego was riding a four-match win streak after defeating Central State (2/15), Edward Waters (2/16), UC Santa Barbara (2/23), and Charleston (2/28). The Tritons' last four-match win streak came in 2022 between Feb. 11-19. It included back-to-back road victories at No. 11 BYU. The first match in Provo was the program's first-ever win against the Cougars.
SCHELLINGERÂ SELECTED AS BIG WEST DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Triton junior
Josh Schellinger was named the Big West Defensive Player of the Week on Feb. 26. In UC San Diego's conference opener, a 3-1 win against UC Santa Barbara in La Jolla, Schellinger finished with a career-high seven blocks (1 solo) to go along with eight digs, six kills, and a service ace. All in all, he accounted for 11 points. In 2023, Schellinger was named the Big West Freshman of the Week four times en route to earning Big West All-Freshman Team accolades.
DYER MAKER
Junior setter
Gabriel Dyer returned to the court on Feb. 16 against Edward Waters. It was his first match of the season after missing the previous 12 due to injury. The last time he had played was on Dec. 30 in a scrimmage against Calgary. In his return vs. EWU, Dyer had 24 assists and set the Tritons to a .493 attack percentage in a three-set victory. He also added two blocks and seven digs.Â
LOUD CROWD PROUD
On Jan. 26, 2024, LionTree Arena hosted a UC San Diego Volleyball record 2,474 fans for its match against UCLA. The Tritons have drawn a crowd of at least 1,000 six times (2,474 1/26/24 vs. UCLA; 1,689 3/2/13 vs. BYU; 1,648 1/25/19 vs. UCLA; 1,505 2/9/22 vs. UCLA; 1,069 4/16/22 vs. UC Santa Barbara; 1,012 3/5/11 vs. Stanford).
BIG WEST STANDINGS (through 3/11)
Team |
Big West |
Overall |
Long Beach State |
2-0 |
16-1 |
UC Irvine |
2-0 |
13-6 |
UC San Diego |
1-2 |
8-10 |
Hawai'i |
0-0 |
17-1 |
CSUN |
0-0 |
9-8 |
UC Santa Barbara |
0-3 |
7-12 |
Â
2024 UC SAN DIEGO ROSTER BREAKDOWN
Starters Returning (4)
•
Gabriel Dyer (JR, S/OPP)
•
Jim Garrison (SO, MB)
•
Nick Rigo (SR, MB)
•
Josh Schellinger (SO, OH)
Starters Lost (2)
•
Ryan Ka (OH)
•
Berkeley Miesfeld (OPP)
Primary Liberos Returning (1)
• Evan Boyle (SO)
Others Returning (10)
• Andrew Boyle (SR, S)
• Josh Ewert (SO, OH)
• Matthew Lim (JR, OH)
• Leo Pravednikov (SO, OH)
• Brett Pursley (SO, OH)
• Michael Robertson (SO, OPP)
• Peter Selcho (SO, MB)
• Paya Vatanshenas (JR, L)
• Sam Warren (JR, OH)
• Cameron Wurl (SO, S)
Others Lost (4)
• Ben Blakely (OPP/OH)
• Spiro Maranda (MB)
• Michael Urdahl (MB)
• Zachary Weston (MB)
Newcomers (6)
• Luke Chandler (JR, OPP)
• Anthony Cherfan (JR, OPP)
• Keegan Cook (FR, L)
• Sebastian Lara (JR, OH)
• Leo Wiemelt (FR, MB)
• Charlie Wilson (FR, MB)
ACE FREELY
On Jan. 31 against USC in La Jolla,
Anthony Cherfan floored six service aces. That number is tied for the most aces in a single match by any Triton during the team's NCAA DI/II era (since 2001). The last Triton to do it was Chris Sayers vs. Stanford on April 14, 2006.Â
WIEMELT HONORED AS THE BIG WEST FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
Leo Wiemelt was tabbed the Big West Men's Volleyball Freshman of the Week on Jan. 19. A true freshman, Wiemelt hit .556 and totaled 16.5 points, 12 kills, 5 blocks, 5 digs, and 2 aces over two matches to help the Tritons earn back-to-back sweeps at LBSU's Big West/SIAC Crossover. Against Central State, Wiemelt set new career-highs with 9.5 points, 7 kills, 2 aces, and 4 digs. He hit .875 (7-0-9) in that match. The next day against Edward Waters, the middle blocker logged a career-high 4 blocks to go along with 5 kills and a dig. He hit .300 (5-2-10) in that sweep.
SELCHOÂ NAMED BIG WEST DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Peter Selcho was named the first Big West Men's Volleyball Defensive Player of the Week on Jan. 8. A sophomore middle blocker, Selcho was a force at the net, helping the Tritons post a 2-1 record at UC Santa Barbara's season-opening Asics Invitational. Named to the all-tournament team, Selcho recorded a team-high 19 total blocks (1.6/set) and hit .306 (17-6-36) over the three matches. His biggest outing was in a 3-2 win against NJIT. Selcho established career-highs with 12 blocks, eight kills, 14 points, and two digs. He also posted a solid .538 (8-1-13) attack percentage. Two days prior, Selcho kicked off his 2024 season with eight kills in a 3-1 win over 20th-ranked George Mason. He swung at a .429 clip in that contest.
MATTHEW LIM MAKESÂ ALL-TOURNEY TEAM IN SANTA BARBARA
Junior outside
Matthew Lim was named to the all-tournament team at UC Santa Barbara's Asics Invitational. Over three matches, he averaged 3.4 points/set and 2.7 kills/set while hitting .308 to help the Tritons post a 2-1 record. He started with 11 kills in a win over No. 20 George Mason, followed with nine kills in a loss to No. 7 Grand Canyon, and finished with 10 in a win over NJIT. He also added six blocks, six digs, and four aces.
THE LAST TIME UC SAN DIEGO ...
Won a match |
3/6/24 vs. Saint Katherine (3-0) |
Lost a match |
3/3/24 at UC Irvine (0-3) |
Won at home |
3/6/24 vs. Saint Katherine (3-0) |
Lost at home |
3/1/24 vs. UC Irvine (0-3) |
Won on the road |
3/16/23 at CSUN (3-0) |
Lost on the road |
3/3/24 at UC Irvine (0-3) |
Won at neutral site |
2/16/24 vs. Edward Waters (3-0 at Long Beach State) |
Lost at a neutral site |
1/5/24 vs. Grand Canyon (0-3 at UC Santa Barbara) |
Won 3-0 at home |
3/6/24 vs. Saint Katherine (3-0) |
Won 3-0 on the road |
3/16/23 at CSUN |
Won 3-0 at a neutral site |
2/16/24 vs. Edward Waters (at Long Beach State) |
Lost 0-3 at home |
3/1/24 vs. UC Irvine (0-3) |
Lost 0-3Â on the road |
3/3/24 at UC Irvine |
Lost 0-3 at a neutral site |
1/5/24 vs. Grand Canyon (at UC Santa Barbara) |
Won in four sets |
2/28/24 vs. Charleston |
Lost in four sets |
4/14/23 at Hawai'i |
Won 3-2 at home |
1/31/24 vs. USC |
Won 3-2Â on the road |
3/26/22 at UC Irvine |
Won 3-2 at a neutral site |
1/6/24 vs. NJIT (at UC Santa Barbara) |
Lost 3-2 at home |
3/5/23 vs. Ball State |
Lost 3-2 on the road |
1/13/24 at Ohio State |
Lost 3-2 at a neutral site |
4/20/23 vs. UC Santa Barbara (at UC Irvine) |
Won in five sets after trailing 0-2 |
2/11/22 at BYU |
Lost in five sets after leading 2-0 |
1/7/23 vs. USC (at UC Santa Barbara) |
Defeated a Big West opponent |
2/23/24 vs. UC Santa Barbara (3-1) |
Lost to a Big West opponent |
3/3/24 at UC Irvine (0-3) |
Defeated a non-conference opponent |
3/6/24 vs. Saint Katherine (3-0) |
Lost to a non-conference opponent |
2/8/24 at Concordia (0-3) |
Defeated a ranked opponent |
2/23/24 vs. #18 UC Santa Barbara (3-1) |
Lost to a ranked opponent |
3/3/24 at #5 UC Irvine (0-3) |
Played the No. 1 team |
4/15/23 at Hawai'i (0-3) |
Defeated the No. 1 team |
4/23/21 at Hawai'i (3-2 in Big West semifinal) |
AVCA NATIONAL POLLÂ (3/11)
1. Hawai'i
2. Long Beach State
3. UCLA
4. Grand Canyon
5. UC Irvine
6. Stanford
7. BYU
8. Ohio State
9. Pepperdine
10. Penn State
11. USC
12. Loyola Chicago
13. Ball State
14. Lewis
15. Princeton
16. CSUN
17. George Mason
18. UC San Diego
19. UC Santa Barbara
20. McKendree
Receiving votes: Purdue Fort Wayne, Concordia, Harvard, Daemen
BIG RANKINGS FOR THE BIG WEST
All six Big West teams can be found in the latest AVCA Top 20 National Poll.
1. Hawai'i
2. Long Beach State
5. UC Irvine
16. CSUN
18. UC San Diego
19. UC Santa Barbara
UC SAN DIEGO IN THE 2024Â AVCA NATIONAL POLL
Week 10 (3/11): 18
Week 9 (3/4): 18
Week 8 (2/26): 18
Week 7 (2/19): T-20
Week 6 (2/12): 20
Week 5 (2/5): 19
Week 4 (1/29): 19
Week 3 (1/22): 20
Week 2 (1/15): T-18
Week 1 (1/10): 17
Preseason (1/3): Receiving votes
2024Â BIG WEST PRESEASON POLL
1. Long Beach State (23 points, 3 first-place votes)
2. Hawai'i (21 points, 2 first-place votes)
3. UC Irvine (19 points, 1 first-place vote)
4. UC Santa Barbara (11 points)
T-5. CSUN (8 points)
T-5. UC San Diego (8 points)
HEAD COACH BRAD ROSTRATTER
Brad Rostratter enters his second season leading UC San Diego in 2024. He was named head coach of the men's volleyball program on October 7, 2022. Rostratter earned his first career win with the Tritons on Jan. 5, 2023, when the team defeated Lincoln Memorial in five sets at UC Santa Barbara's Asics Invitational. It was the team's season opener. Rostratter collected his first Big West victory on the road at CSUN when the Tritons swept the Matadors on March 16. A National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Coach of the Year and two-time Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC) Coach of the Year, Rostratter came to La Jolla from Vanguard University in Costa Mesa, Calif., where he served as the men's volleyball head coach since the program's inception in 2019. He led the Lions to a pair of GSAC regular season titles, a league tournament title, and two appearances at the NAIA National Tournament.
Complete Rostratter Bio
2024 AWARD WINNERS
•
Josh Schellinger: Big West Defensive Player of the Week (2/26)
•
Leo Wiemelt: Big West Freshman of the Week (2/19)
•
Peter Selcho: Big West Defensive Player of the Week (1/8), Asics Invitational All-Tournament Team (1/6)
•
Matthew Lim: Asics Invitational All-Tournament Team (1/6)
2023 AWARD WINNERS
•
Evan Boyle: Big West All-Freshman Team, Big West Defensive Player of the Week (3/6), Big West Freshman of the Week (1/9)
•
Josh Ewert: Big West All-Freshman Team
•
Jim Garrison: Big West All-Freshman Team, Big West Freshman of the Week (4/10)
•
Josh Schellinger: Big West All-Freshman Team, Four-time Big West Freshman of the Week (4/17, 2/27, 2/20, 1/23), Off the Block Offensive Player of the Night (1/18)
•
Peter Selcho: Off the Block Defensive Player of the Night (1/17)
UP NEXT
Following Tuesday's match, UC San Diego jumps into full-time Big West action. In fact, the Tritons' final seven contests of the regular season are all conference tilts. Four of those will be inside LionTree Arena, including a pair against top-ranked Hawai'i on April 12 and 13. Tickets for all home matches are available through the
Triton Box Office.
BE SOCIAL!
UC San Diego Athletics on Facebook (UCSDtritons)
UC San Diego Athletics on Instagram (UCSDtritons)
UC San Diego Athletics on Twitter (@UCSDtritons)
UC San Diego Men's Volleyball on Instagram (UCSDmvb)
UC San Diego Men's Volleyball on Twitter (@UCSDmvb)
FOR THE YOUNGER CROWD
Got some young Triton fans in your family? If they are eighth grade or under, check out theÂ
Junior Triton Club. Membership includes a free t-shirt, admission to over 100 UC San Diego home athletic events, and much more!
GEAR HERE
For the latest Triton apparel and accessories, visit the official team store of the TritonsÂ
here.
WHY THE TRITONS?
The Triton is described as the offspring of Poseidon and Amphitrite, a demigod of the sea with a lower part of the body like that of a fish. It is known as a mighty and fierce sea warrior. Given UC San Diego's close proximity to the Pacific Ocean and its connections with the world-famous Scripps Institution of Oceanography, the Triton became our mascot in 1964.
NCAA MEN'S VOLLEYBALL LANDSCAPE
The NCAA combines Division I and Division II teams into a single national championship (National Collegiate Championship), while Division III squads have a stand-alone championship (NCAA Division III National Championship). There are 61 Division I and Division II teams combined, with 53 of those making up eight conferences. Another eight institutions are independent.
Big West (6)
CSUNÂ (DI)
Hawai'i (DI)
Long Beach State (DI)
UC Irvine (DI)
UC San Diego (DI)
UC Santa Barbara (DI)
Conference Carolinas (8)
Barton (DII)
Belmont Abbey (DII)
Emmanuel (GA) (DII)
Erskine (DII)
King (TN)Â (DII)
Lees-McRae (DII)
Mount Olive (DII)
North Greenville (DII)
East Coast Conference (4)
American International (DII)
Dominican (NY) (DII)
Roberts Wesleyan (DII)
St. Thomas Aquinas (DII)
Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (6)
Charleston (WV) (DII)
George Mason (DI)
Harvard (DI)
NJIT (DI)
Penn State (DI)
Princeton (DI)
Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (9)
Ball State (DI)
Lewis (DII)
Lindenwood (DI)
Loyola Chicago (DI)
McKendree (DII)
Ohio State (DI)
Purdue Fort Wayne (DI)
Queens University of Charlotte (DI)
Quincy (DII)
Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (7)
BYU (DI)
Concordia (DII)
Grand Canyon (DI)
Pepperdine (DI)
Stanford (DI)
UCLA (DI)
USC (DI)
Northeast Conference (7)
Daemen (DII)
D'Youville (DII)
Fairleigh Dickinson (DI)
Long Island University (DI)
Merrimack (DI)
Sacred Heart (DI)
Saint Francis (Pa.) (DI)
Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (6)
Benedict (DII)
Central State (DII)
Edward Waters (DII)
Fort Valley State (DII)
Kentucky State (DII)
Morehouse (DII)
Independent (8)
Lincoln Memorial (DII)
Maryville (DII)
Missouri S&T (DII)
Puerto Rico at Bayamon (DII)
Puerto Rico at Mayagüez (DII)
Puerto Rico at Rio Piedras (DII)
Thomas More (DII)
Tusculum (DII)
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 has begun a new era as a member of The Big West inÂ
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 garnered 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. For more information on the Tritons, visit UCSDtritons.comÂ
or follow UC San Diego Athletics on social media @UCSDtritons.