NORTHRIDGE, Calif. – UC San Diego Men's Volleyball swept Purdue Fort Wayne Saturday and upped its season record to 6-0.
Set scores went 25-23, 25-21, and 25-18 at CSUN's Premier America Credit Union Arena..
The 6-0 start equals the team's best since 1996 as an NCAA Division III program. It is the Tritons' first time starting 6-0 as an NCAA Division I/II team (since 2001).
It was the fifth sweep of the season for the Tritons.
Purdue Fort Wayne, out of the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (MIVA), fell to 1-2 with the loss.
The match was part of CSUN's Under Armour Challenge and was played at the Matadors' Premiere America Credit Union Arena.
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HOW IT HAPPENED
Yet again, UC San Diego out-hit its opponent, this time .293 (36-12-82) to .200 (35-18-85). The Tritons were potent from the service line, dropping in nine aces. They also held a 7-5 lead in blocks.
For UC San Diego, Anthony Cherfan had a match-high 11 kills. He hit .400 and also contributed three digs, two blocks, and two aces. Leo Pravednikov and Josh Schellinger each had nine kills. That duo also had seven digs apiece, a match-best. Setter Bryce Dvorak finished with 33 assists, three aces, and a block. Jim Garrison hit .400 with four kills and no errors in 10 swings. He also added four blocks (one solo).
The Mastadons got eight kills each from JP Candrian and Axel Melendez-Watts.
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WHAT HEAD COACH BRAD ROSTRATTER HAD TO SAY
"We had another good match tonight as we continue with the stretch of lots of volleyball early on in the season. Tonight, we struggled a bit more in terms of being of a little streaky with our consistency and maintaining our steady level of play. However, we did a good job of bouncing back and responding."
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TRITON TIDBITS
• Through six matches, UC San Diego is out-hitting opponents .326 to .122.
• The Tritons hold a 42-23 advantage over opponents in service aces.
• They also have a 52-25 lead in blocks.
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UP NEXT
UC San Diego plays at No. 1 UCLA on Jan. 23 at 7 p.m.
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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 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.
