LA JOLLA, Calif.— UC San Diego women's volleyball fell in straight sets to Cal State Fullerton on Friday evening in LionTree Arena. The Tritons (2-11, 0-1 Big West) fell to the Titans (6-7, 1-0 Big West) by set scores of 21-25, 23-25, 23-25, to open Big West play.
 
Ireland McNees led UC San Diego with 19 kills and added eight digs, while Maria Fernanda Afonso finished with 14 kills. Molly McCluskey added eight kills, two aces and contributed defensively with four blocks, tallying a total of 12.5 points. Mika Rome facilitated the offense with 41 assists and supported with team-best eight digs.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Despite early errors, the Tritons kept the scoring close to begin the first set, benefiting from consistent play by McNees to level the score 7-7. After falling behind by six points, 15-9, the Tritons battled back with a five-point scoring run highlighted by a pair of aces from McCluskey. Another timely kill by McNees pulled the Tritons even at 16-all. The teams battled down the stretch before a series of successful kills by the Titans allowed them to regain and maintain a slight edge. The set concluded with Fullerton capitalizing on a Triton attack error, closing the set at 25-21 in favor of the visitors.
 
The Titans carried the momentum into the second set, building an early 6-3 advantage. Fullerton stretched its lead to as many as four before UC San Diego rallied midway through the set. A series of kills by McCluskey and a strong defensive block by McCluskey and Saran sparked a five-point scoring run to give the Tritons the lead, 17-15. However, the Titans responded, capitalizing on Triton errors to edge back in front, 21-19. Despite a late push by the Tritons, including another kill by McNees, Fullerton secured the set at 25-23.
 
The third set began with a back-and-forth swing to a 7-6 Fullerton advantage. The Tritons kept the pressure on with significant contributions from Afonso and McNees, who each executed key kills to put UC San Diego in front, 10-8. The Titans responded with a series of kills which allowed them to shift momentum and build a small lead midway through the set, 16-13. Fullerton maintained its lead at 21-17 but the Tritons fought back, with McNees and Afonso closing the gap to a tie at 22-22, thanks to a combination of opponent errors and solid blocking. Despite the late push, the Titans secured the set with consecutive kills, ending the frame at 25-23 in their favor.
 
TRITON TIDBITS

• Ireland McNees recorded her largest kill total of the season, finishing with 19.
• Both teams recorded 46 kills, but Cal State Fullerton's efficiency was highlighted by a .308 hitting percentage.
• The Tritons are 1-5 in three-set matches this season.
• UC San Diego is now 7-1 in the all-time series with Cal State Fullerton.
• Starters included Maria Fernanda Afonso, Paulina Baillie, Madison Johnson, Molly McCluskey, Ireland McNees, Mika Rome and Jasmine Saran.

 
UP NEXT
The Tritons will travel to face UC Irvine on Saturday at 5 p.m. for their first Big West road match of the season. The match 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.