LONG BEACH, Calif. – The 18th-ranked UC San Diego men's volleyball team won a pair of exhibition matches Saturday to finish the North American Challenge with a perfect 3-0 record.
All three wins came in sweeping fashion.
The Tritons opened the day with a win against Saskatchewan and followed with a victory against Trinity Western.
Friday, UC San Diego swept Calgary in its first match of the tournament, which was hosted by Long Beach State.
All three of the Tritons' opponents are Canadian universities.
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HOW IT HAPPENED AGAINST SASKATCHEWAN
Set scores were 25-23, 25-20, and 25-19.
UC San Diego hit .351 on 38 kills and 12 errors in 74 attack attempts. On the other side of the net, Saskatchewan put out a .288 attack with 28 kills and 11 errors in 59 swings.
The Tritons were dialed in up front, finishing with a 10-3 advantage in blocks. They were also dangerous from the service line, dropping in 12 aces.
Triton Michael Robertson led all players with 16 kills. He also contributed five blocks, two aces, and two digs - all while hitting .588 (16-1-26).
Sebastian Lara had eight kills while Sam Warren and Leo Wiemelt each collected five. Wiemelt amassed eight blocks as well. Cameron Wurl dealt 32 assists with four blocks, four digs, two kills, and two aces.
For the Huskies, Isaiah Mamer had a team-best 11 kills.Â
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HOW IT HAPPENED AGAINST TRINITY WESTERN
Set scores were 25-21, 25-20, and 25-16.
UC San Diego continued its hot-hitting from earlier in the day by coming in at .385 (52-31-11) against the Spartans. The Tritons also had the upper hand in aces (10-2) and blocks (7-3).
UC San Diego got a match-high eight kills apiece from Anthony Cherfan and Josh Schellinger. Setter Bryce Dvorak had 26 assists, while Cherfan, Dvorak, and Leo Pravednikov each had three aces. In the blocking department, five Tritons finished with multiple stuffs including Cherfan (5), Peter Selcho (4), Jim Garrison (3), Pravednikov (3), and Schellinger (2).
Piers DeGreef and John Obi led Trinity Western with eight kills each.
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WHAT HEAD COACH BRAD ROSTRATTER HAD TO SAY
"Today was a huge step into the start of the season on Tuesday for us. Having two different groups of players be able to sustain competitive high level volleyball highlighted our depth and growth. We have lots to learn and improve upon as we get into our opening week."
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TRITON TIDBITS
• Anthony Cherfan and Bryce Dvorak were named to the all-tournament team.
• Other teams competing at the North American challenge included Cal State Bakersfield, Long Beach State, and Pepperdine.
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UP NEXT
UC San Diego officially opens its season next week when it plays host to 20th-ranked McKendree on Tuesday, Jan. 7, at 7 p.m.
Tuesday's contest kicks off a four-match home stand for the Tritons.
Season tickets and single-match tickets are available through the Triton Box Office.
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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.
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