LA JOLLA, Calif. — UC San Diego women's volleyball swept Cal Poly in straight sets on Friday night at LionTree Arena. The Tritons (4-11, 2-1 Big West) won by set scores of 25-23, 26-24, 25-15, behind a strong offensive performance with a .263 team hitting percentage against the Mustangs (11-4, 2-1 Big West).
 
Molly McCluskey was the top scorer, finishing with 16 kills on 36 attempts to hit at a .361 clip for 17 points. Maria Fernanda Afonso added 12 kills and two blocks, accumulating 13.5 points, while Jasmine Saran recorded seven kills and four blocks, tallying 10 points. Mika Rome led the team with 32 assists and 15 digs for her third double-double of the season.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
UC San Diego opened the first set with a balanced attack, quickly establishing momentum through strong contributions from McCluskey and Afonso. A series of three kills from Afonso, helped the Tritons build a slim lead, 10-6. The Mustangs rallied midway through the set, using an 11-2 scoring run to take the lead, 19-15. 
 
The Tritons stalled Cal Poly's momentum with a three-point sequence that included a kill from McCluskey, a solo block from Afonso and an ace by Kayla Uhlick to pull UC San Diego within one, 19-18. Back-to-back kills by McCluskey and two hitting errors by Cal Poly gave the Tritons the first set point, 24-21. The Mustangs rallied one final time before UC San Diego eventually took the set, 25-23. 
 
After Cal Poly took an early lead in set two, 7-4, the Tritons rallied behind a kill from McCluskey and an ace from Paulina Baillie to pull even, 8-8. The teams traded a one-point swing until the Mustangs created a bit of space at 19-16. The Tritons responded once again, pulling even at 21-all after a kill and a solo block by Saran. With the Mustangs leading 23-22, UC San Diego outscored Cal Poly 4-1 down the stretch to secure the second set, 26-24.
 
UC San Diego carried the momentum into the final frame, building an early 6-1 advantage. Cal Poly attempted a comeback, closing the gap to 9-7, but the Tritons responded with a series of successful plays. Afonso and McCluskey delivered crucial points, pushing the score to 14-9. UC San Diego put together a six-point scoring run, highlighted by back-to-back blocks from Saran and three straight kills by Ireland McNees to put the set in hand, 20-11. The Tritons maintained their advantage down the stretch and a final kill by Afonso, assisted by Rome, sealed the set at 25-15 to secure the sweep.
 
TRITON TIDBITS

• Mika Rome recorded her third double-double of the season and second consecutive.
• The Tritons are 2-5 in three-set matches this season.
• UC San Diego is now 2-6 in the all-time series with Cal Poly.
• Starters included Paulina Baillie, Molly McCluskey, Ireland McNees, Mina Olgar, Mika Rome, Jasmine Saran and Kayla Uhlick.

UP NEXT
The Tritons will host (RV) UC Santa Barbara on Saturday at 6 p.m. in LionTree Arena. The matches will be broadcast on ESPN+ and live statistics will be available via UCSDTritons.com.
 
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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.