LA JOLLA, Calif. – No. 15 UC San Diego men's volleyball (7-2) could not hold on against No. 7 Loyola Chicago (8-0) on Saturday afternoon in LionTree Arena, falling 3-2 to the Ramblers. The non-conference match marks the second time the Tritons have played an opponent that outranks them.
Set scores were 23-25, 25-18, 22-25, 25-22 and 15-11.
Anthony Cherfan and
Josh Schellinger both set season-high in kills, recording 21 and 16, respectively. Cherfan led the game in kills, while contributing three blocks and five digs.
Leo Pravednikov set a season-high five blocks and added another seven kills for the Tritons.
Bryce Dvorak also recorded a season-high 50 assists in the contest.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Ramblers continually scuttled ahead by one point throughout the first half of the opening set. It would take a back row gliding kill from Schellinger and triple-block for the Tritons to claim their first lead of the game at 9-8. A UC San Diego timeout down 21-20 proved pivotal as the Tritons went on a 3-1 run, prompting a Loyola timeout. No matter, another powerful Schellinger kill punctuated the volatile first set at 25-23.
The second set saw Loyola start on the front foot, pulling away at the midpoint of a kill-filled second set. A Triton timeout after falling behind 15-11 yielded a 3-0 run headlined by a kill and service ace from Schellinger. The Ramblers fell back into rhythm, however, going on 4-0 and 3-0 runs to even the set score with a 25-18 scoreline.
UC San Diego went on the attack, scoring the first point and creating ample separation in the early goings of the third set. Cherfan came to the forefront, recording four kills on the Tritons' way to a 13-9 lead.
The Ramblers momentarily threatened a comeback, getting within a point. The Tritons continued to edge forward, relying on kills from Cherfan, Pravednikov and
Jim Garrison to widen the gap. The Rambler's nine service errors would be just as crucial in the Tritons' 25-22 go-ahead set win.
The Tritons combined blocks with power kills in a back-and-forth fourth set. UC San Diego responded to a 4-0 Loyola run with a pair of blocks, maintaining a 12-11 lead. The teams traded the lead from here, with Cherfan racking up three more kills. The Ramblers pulled away after a 19-19 tie, getting a kill and service ace to finish 25-22 and force a fifth set.
The final set brought out the best of both squads as they went for long rallies capped off by monster kills. The Ramblers extended the lead to 7-4 with a service ace and kill, triggering a Triton timeout. The regroup brought about kills from Garrison and Cherfan, which Loyola matched to retain the distance. A service and attack error from the Ramblers closed the gap to 9-8. However, a trio of kills and a pair of blocks set up match point for Loyola at 14-10, and another kill would seal the deal at 15-11.
TRITON TIDBITS
UP NEXT
UC San Diego takes on Lincoln Memorial at 7 p.m. on Tuesday for another non-conference matchup. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ and KSDT Sports Radio, with live statistics available via UCSDTritons.com.
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 Conference 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 83 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.
