LA JOLLA, Calif. - Undefeated and 14th-ranked UC San Diego Men's Volleyball is set for two matches this week - the first at No. 3 UCLA Thursday followed by a home contest against Vanguard Friday.
The Tritons enter the week at 6-0, the team's best start to a season since 1996. Most recently they, defeated Lindenwood and Purdue Fort Wayne, helping them move up three spots to No. 14 in this week's national poll.
Third-ranked UCLA comes in with a 2-1 record. The Bruins have victories against Saint Francis and Penn State with a loss to Ohio State.
Vanguard is 1-0 following a sweep of Merrimack.
Tickets for home matches are available through the Triton Box Office.
MATTER OF FACTS
--- Match 7: Non-Conference ---
• No. 14 UC San Diego (6-0) at No. 3
UCLA (2-1)
• Thursday / January 23 / 7 p.m.
•
Pauley Pavilion / Los Angeles, Calif. (
map)
•
Watch
•
Live Stats
•
Twitter /
Instagram
--- Match 8: Non-Conference ---
• No. 14 UC San Diego (6-0) vs.
Vanguard (1-0)
• Friday / January 24 / 7 p.m.
•
LionTree Arena / La Jolla, Calif. (
map)
•
ESPN+
•
Live Stats
•
Twitter /
Instagram
ABOUT THE UC SAN DIEGO TRITONS
Roster |
Schedule & Results |
Statistics
• Location: La Jolla, Calif.
• Conference:
Big West
• Overall: 6-0
• Big West: 0-0
• Home: 4-0
• Away: 0-0
• Neutral: 2-0
• Streak: 6 wins
• AVCA national ranking: 14
• Big West Preseason Poll: 6th of 6
ABOUT THE UCLA BRUINS
Roster |
Schedule & Results |
Statistics
• Location: Los Angeles, Calif.
• Conference:
Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF)
• Overall: 2-1
• MPSF: 0-0
• Home: 0-0
• Away: 0-0
• Neutral: 2-1
• Streak: 1 loss
• AVCA national ranking: 3
• MPSF Preseason Poll: 1st of 9
ABOUT THE VANGUARD LIONS
Roster |
Schedule & Results |
Statistics
• Location: Costa Mesa, Calif.
• Conference:
Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF)
• Overall: 1-0
• MPSF: 0-0
• Home: 1-0
• Away: 0-0
• Neutral: 0-0
• Streak: 1 win
• AVCA national ranking: Not ranked
• MPSF Preseason Poll: 8th of 9
2000 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM VISITS LIONTREE ARENA FRIDAY
The 2000 UC San Diego men's volleyball national championship team will be in attendance at Friday's match and will be recognized between sets two and three. In its final season as an NCAA Division III team, the Tritons defeated NYU to win the Molten Division III Invitational National Championship, hosted by the Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, N.J. It was the team's first national title since winning the 1970 NAIA championship.
MATCH-BY-MATCH MEDIA
TRITON DEBUTS IN 2025
• Keegan Cook: 1/7 vs. McKendree, 9 digs, 3-0 win
• Bryce Dvorak: 1/7 vs. McKendree, 34 assists, 4 aces, 5 digs, 2 kills, 6 points, 3-0 win
GARRISON NAMED BIG WEST DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Junior middle blocker
Jim Garrison was named the Big West Defensive Player of the Week on Jan. 20. Garrison was instrumental in helping the Tritons to a 3-0 week and upping the team's record to a perfect 6-0 to start to the season. His stat totals for the week included a team-high 16 blocks (three solo) to accompany 11 kills and a solid .320 (11-3-25) attack percentage. In a sweep of 18th-ranked George Mason, he finished with a match-high eight blocks (one solo) and put away three kills. In a four-set victory over Lindenwood, Garrison rang up four kills, four blocks (one solo), an assist, and a dig. To wrap up the week's action, he had four kills, four blocks (one solo), and a service ace in a sweep of Purdue Fort Wayne. He attacked at .400 with the four kills and zero miscues in 10 swings. It's the second Big West weekly award for Garrison as he was tabbed the Freshman of the Week in April of 2023.
HAVE A NIGHT KID!
Leo Pravdenikov had a career night in UC San Diego's sweep of George Mason on Jan. 14. The junior outside floored 15 kills with zero errors in 22 attack attempts to finish with a .682 hitting percentage. Both of those numbers were career-bests. In addition, he had four aces (another career-high), two blocks, and two digs.
ACE FREELY
Bryce Dvorak wasted no time putting his name in the UC San Diego Men's Volleyball record book. The grad student setter was able to floor seven service aces Jan. 8 in a sweep of Saint Francis in La Jolla. That total is the most by a Triton during the team's NCAA Division I and NCAA Division II era (since 2001). Dvorak had four aces in the first set, one in set two, and two in set three (the final two points of the match). Teammate
Anthony Cherfan was the previous record holder as he had six aces against USC in 2024.
BROOMTOWN
UC San Diego has kicked off its 2025 campaign with four-straight sweeps, the first time the Tritons have accomplished that as an NCAA Division I/II team (since 2001). The last time the team opened its season 4-0 was in 1989. As an NCAA Division III team in 1996, the Tritons collected six wins to start the season.
CHERFAN NAMED THE SEASON'S FIRST BIG WEST DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
UC San Diego's
Anthony Cherfan was named the Big West Men's Volleyball Defensive Player of the Week on Jan. 6. A senior opposite hitter, Cherfan was instrumental in helping the Tritons go 3-0 at the North American Challenge in Long Beach. UC San Diego swept all three of its opponents - Calgary, Saskatchewan, and Trinity Western - in exhibition matches. Friday against Calgary, Cherfan finished with a match-high 10 kills on .533 hitting with four blocks, four digs, two aces, and two assists. In Saturday's topping of Trinity Western, the Los Angeles native had a match-best eight kills to go along with a team-high five blocks and three aces. Cherfan was named to the North American Challenge All-Tournament Team for his efforts.
SWEEPING THROUGH THE NORTH AMERICAN CHALLENGE
UC San Diego went 3-0, all sweeps, in exhibition matches at Long Beach State's North American Challenge Jan. 3-4. The Tritons topped Canadian universities Calgary, Saskatchewan, and Trinity Western. Opposite
Anthony Cherfan and setter
Bryce Dvorak were named to the all-tournament team.
CHERFAN SELECTED TO BIG WEST COACHES' PRESEASON TEAM
Senior opposite hitter
Anthony Cherfan earned a spot on the 2025 Big West Coaches' Preseason Team. In 2024, he was named AVCA All-America Honorable Mention as well as All-Big West First Team. He led the Tritons in kills (279), kills/set (3.13), points (348), points/set (3.91), service aces (37), and service aces/set (0.24). He was third on the team in blocks (61). Cherfan registered a double-figure kill total in 17 matches, including eight of his final nine outings. He put down a career-best 17 kills in late January in a five-set win against USC. His six service aces in that victory were the most by a Triton since 2006. In Big West matches, Cherfan ranked high among conference players as well, finishing fourth in kills, fifth in points and aces, 10th in hitting percentage, and 13th in blocks.
2025 BIG WEST STANDINGS
(through 1/21)
| Team |
Big West |
Overall |
| Hawai'i |
0-0 |
6-0 |
| UC San Diego |
0-0 |
6-0 |
| CSUN |
0-0 |
5-0 |
| Long Beach State |
0-0 |
4-0 |
| UC Santa Barbara |
0-0 |
4-0 |
| UC Irvine |
0-0 |
3-0 |
2025 UC SAN DIEGO ROSTER BREAKDOWN
Starters Returning (5)
•
Anthony Cherfan (Sr., OPP)
•
Sebastian Lara (Sr., OH)
•
Jim Garrison (Jr., MB)
•
Peter Selcho (Jr., MB)
•
Josh Schellinger (Jr., OH)
Starters Lost (1)
•
Gabriel Dyer (S)
Primary Liberos Returning (1)
• Evan Boyle (So.)
Others Returning (12)
• Luke Chandler (Sr., OPP)
• Keegan Cook (So., L)
• Josh Ewert (Jr., OH)
• Matthew Lim (Sr., OH)
• Leo Pravednikov (Jr., OH)
• Brett Pursley (Jr., OH)
• Nick Rigo (Sr., MB)
• Michael Robertson (Jr., OPP)
• Sam Warren (Sr., OH)
• Leo Wiemelt (So., MB)
• Charlie Wilson (So., MB)
• Cameron Wurl (So., S)
Others Lost (2)
• Andrew Boyle (S)
• Paya Vatanshenas (L)
Newcomers (3)
• Bryce Dvorak (Grad, S)
• Landon Seymour (Jr., S)
• Ben Warren (Fr., OH)
UC SAN DIEGO'S RECORD ...
(through 1/22)
| Overall |
6-0 |
| In the Big West |
0-0 |
| At home |
4-0 |
| On the road |
0-0 |
| At a neutral site |
2-0 |
| In 3 set matches |
5-0 |
| In 4 set matches |
1-0 |
| In 5 set matches |
0-0 |
| On Tuesdays |
2-0 |
| On Wednesdays |
1-0 |
| On Thursdays |
0-0 |
| On Fridays |
2-0 |
| On Saturdays |
1-0 |
| On Sundays |
0-0 |
| In January |
6-0 |
| In February |
0-0 |
| In March |
0-0 |
| In April |
0-0 |
| vs. Nationally-ranked teams |
2-0 |
| vs. Unranked teams |
4-0 |
| With more kills than opponent |
5-0 |
| With fewer kills than opponent |
1-0 |
| When kills are equal |
0-0 |
| When out-hitting opponent |
6-0 |
| When out-hit by opponent |
0-0 |
| When hitting is equal |
0-0 |
| With more aces than opponent |
5-0 |
| With fewer aces than opponent |
1-0 |
| When aces are equal |
0-0 |
| With more blocks than opponent |
6-0 |
| With fewer blocks than opponent |
0-0 |
| When blocks are equal |
0-0 |
| With more digs than opponent |
3-0 |
| With fewer digs than opponent |
1-0 |
| When digs are equal |
2-0 |
THE LAST TIME UC SAN DIEGO ...
(through 1/22)
| Won a match |
1/18/25 vs. Purdue Fort Wayne (3-0) |
| Lost a match |
4/18/24 vs. CSUN (0-3) |
| Won at home |
1/14/25 vs. George Mason (3-0) |
| Lost at home |
4/12/24 vs. Hawai'i (1-3) |
| Won on the road |
3/15/24 at CSUN (3-2) |
| Lost on the road |
4/5/24 at UC Santa Barbara (2-3) |
| Won at neutral site |
1/18/25 vs. Purdue Fort Wayne (3-0 at CSUN) |
| Lost at a neutral site |
1/5/24 vs. Grand Canyon (0-3 at UC Santa Barbara) |
| Won 3-0 at home |
1/14/25 vs. George Mason |
| Won 3-0 on the road |
3/16/23 at CSUN |
| Won 3-0 at a neutral site |
1/18/25 vs. Purdue Fort Wayne |
| Lost 0-3 at home |
3/30/24 vs. Long Beach State |
| Lost 0-3 on the road |
3/29/24 at Long Beach State |
| Lost 0-3 at a neutral site |
1/5/24 vs. Grand Canyon (at UC Santa Barbara) |
| Won in four sets |
1/17/25 vs. Lindenwood |
| Lost in four sets |
4/12/24 vs. Hawai'i |
| Won 3-2 at home |
1/31/24 vs. USC |
| Won 3-2 on the road |
3/15/23 at CSUN |
| 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 |
4/5/24 at UC Santa Barbara |
| 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 |
3/15/23 at CSUN |
| Lost in five sets after leading 2-0 |
1/7/23 vs. USC (at UC Santa Barbara) |
| Defeated a Big West opponent |
4/13/24 vs. Hawai'i (3-0) |
| Lost to a Big West opponent |
4/12/24 vs. Hawai'i (1-3) |
| Defeated a non-conference opponent |
1/18/25 vs. Purdue Fort Wayne (3-0) |
| Lost to a non-conference opponent |
2/8/24 at Concordia (0-3) |
| Defeated a ranked opponent |
1/14/25 vs. No. 18 George Mason (3-0) |
| Lost to a ranked opponent |
4/18/24 vs. #14 CSUN (0-3) |
| Played the No. 1 team |
3/30/24 vs. Long Beach State (0-3) |
| Defeated the No. 1 team |
4/23/21 at Hawai'i (3-2 in Big West semifinal) |
UC SAN DIEGO SEASON-HIGHS
(through 1/22)
| Statistic |
Team |
Individual |
| Kills |
39, twice |
15, Pravednikov (1/14 vs. George Mason) |
| Attack Attempts |
97 (1/17 vs. Lindenwood) |
30, Schellinger (1/17 vs. Lindenwood) |
| Attack Percentage |
.439 (32-7-57) (1/8 vs. Saint Francis) |
.682, Pravednikov (1/4 vs. George Mason) |
| Assists |
39 (1/17 vs. Lindenwood) |
35, Dvorak (1/17 vs. Lindenwood) |
| Aces |
12 (1/8 vs. Saint Francis) |
7, Dvorak (1/8 vs. Saint Francis) |
| Digs |
36 (1/17 vs. Lindenwood) |
10, Cook (1/17 vs. Lindenwood) |
| Block Solo |
3 (1/17 vs. Lindenwood) |
2, Garrison (1/7 vs. McKendree) |
| Block Assist |
16 (1/14 vs. George Mason) |
7, Garrison (1/14 vs. George Mason) |
| Total Blocks |
11 (1/17 vs. Lindenwood) |
8, Garrison/Pravednikov |
| Points |
58 (1/17 vs. Lindenwood) |
20, Pravednikov (1/4 vs.George Mason) |
MATCH-BY-MATCH LEADERS
(through 1/22)
| Opponent |
Kills |
Assists |
Aces |
Blocks |
Digs |
Points |
| vs. Purdue Fort Wayne |
Cherfan 11 |
Dvorak 33 |
Dvorak 3 |
Garrison 4 |
Pravednikov/Schellinger 7 |
Cherfan 14.0 |
| vs. Lindenwood |
Cherfan 13 |
Dvorak 35 |
5 with 1 |
Dvorak/Garrison/Selcho 4 |
Cook 10 |
Cherfan 16 |
| vs. George Mason |
Pravednikov 15 |
Dvorak 27 |
Pravednikov 4 |
Garrison 8 |
Schellinger 6 |
Pravednikov 20 |
| vs. Daemen |
Schellinger 8 |
Dvorak 24 |
5 with 1 |
Selcho 5 |
Cook 7 |
Schellinger 9.5 |
| vs. Saint Francis |
Pravednikov 8 |
Dvorak 26 |
Dvorak 7 |
Garrison/Pravednikov/Selcho 3 |
Dvorak 5 |
Pravednikov 10.5 |
| vs. McKendree |
Schellinger 12 |
Dvorak 34 |
Dvorak 4 |
Garrison 7 |
Cook/Schellinger 9 |
Schellinger 13 |
AVCA NATIONAL POLL
(1/20/25)
1. Long Beach State
2. UC Irvine
3. UCLA
4. Hawai'i
5. BYU
6. USC
7. Ball State
8. Loyola Chicago
9. Stanford
10. Grand Canyone
11. Pepperdine
12. Ohio State
13. Lewis
14. UC San Diego
15. CSUN
16. UC Santa Barbara
17. Penn State
18. Princeton
19. George Mason
20. Harvard
Receiving votes: McKendree 18, Lincoln Memorial 15, NJIT 14, Daemen 9, Lindenwood 7, Saint Francis 4
Dropped out: None
UC SAN DIEGO IN THE 2025 AVCA NATIONAL POLL
• Week 2 (1/20): 14
• Week 1 (1/13): 17
• Preseason (12/30): 18
BIG RANKINGS FOR THE BIG WEST
All six Big West teams can be found in the latest AVCA Top 20 National Poll.
1. Long Beach State
2. UC Irvine
4. Hawai'i
14. UC San Diego
15. CSUN
16. UC Santa Barbara
2025 AWARD WINNERS
•
Anthony Cherfan: Big West Preseason Coaches' Team, Big West Defensive Player of the Week (1/7), North American Challenge All-Tournament Team
•
Bryce Dvorak: North American Challenge All-Tournament Team
•
Jim Garrison: Big West Defensive Player of the Week (1/20)
2024 AWARD WINNERS
•
Anthony Cherfan: All-Big West First Team, Big West Offensive Player of the Week (4/15)
•
Sebastian Lara: All-Big West Honorable Mention
•
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)
HEAD COACH BRAD ROSTRATTER
Brad Rostratter enters his third season leading UC San Diego in 2025. 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
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ON THE MOVE
After 20 seasons playing as an NCAA Division II team, the entire UC San Diego athletics program has completed its four-year transition to NCAA Division I, culminating in full DI status as a member of the
Big West Conference for the 2024-25 academic year. All UC San Diego sports are now eligible for conference and NCAA postseason play.
FOR THE YOUNGER CROWD
Got some young Triton fans in your family? If they are eighth grade or under, check out the
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 Tritons
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)
CSUN (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) (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 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 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.com or follow UC San Diego Athletics on social media @UCSDtritons.
