COSTA MESA, Calif. — A five-set battle went the way of Vanguard on Wednesday as No. 9 UC San Diego men's volleyball fell to 8-5 on the year. Set scores were 25-22, 21-25, 25-21, 23-25, 15-12 in favor of the hosts.
 
The two teams had near identical stat lines. Vanguard had one more kill, 49-48, than the Tritons, with both sides registering 11 aces and 11 blocks. The Tritons hit .248, while the Lions hit .234. The match featured 49 service errors.
 
Leo Pravednikov led the Tritons with 16 kills while hitting .370. Luke Chandler had both six aces and six block assists. Peter Selcho assisted on nine of the Tritons' 11 blocks and also registered four aces.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
An error-filled set one saw both teams record just nine kills each. The Tritons were up 19-17 until Vanguard used a 5-0 run to lead 22-19. UC San Diego was unable to recover from that deficit as the hosts took set one 25-22.
 
Set two was much better for the Tritons offensively as they hit .375 and registered 15 kills. A 6-1 run put the visitors up for good at 17-14. Vanguard got within one at 20-19, but UC San Diego responded by winning five of the next seven points to take the set 25-21. Three different Tritons had kills down the stretch, with the set ending after an ace by Chandler.
 
The third set was Vanguard's turn to put on an offensive clinic, landing 16 kills on a .433 clip. Most of those came towards the end of the frame as the Lions' final 10 points came on eight kills, one block and one ace. The Tritons led 18-15 until Vanguard closed the set on a 10-3 run to win 25-21.
 
The Tritons erased a 9-5 deficit in set four to go in front 12-11 and never trail again. The gap got as big as four at 21-17 after two-straight Selcho aces. Vanguard made the ending interesting as UC San Diego only led 24-23 at the end, but a Lion service error gave the Tritons a 25-23 victory.
 
Set five saw 11 attack errors, four service errors and several momentum swings. Vanguard opened up with a 4-0 lead that disappeared after a 5-0 run later on that put the Tritons up 9-7. UC San Diego was later up 12-10 until Vanguard scored five-straight points to win the set 15-12 and claim the five-set match. Vanguard's defense forced the Tritons into three attack errors during that final stretch.
 
TRITON TIDBITS

• Selcho's four aces are a career high.
• The Tritons are now 1-1 in five set matches this season.
• Wednesday's match was UC San Diego's 1,000th men's volleyball match all-time. 

QUOTABLE
"Tough match for us tonight," head coach Brad Rostratter said. "Vanguard played really well. They served extremely well and their blocking defense was really good. We struggled with finding ways to terminate consistently throughout the match. The good news is that we get to play them on Friday night and get some redemption back in LionTree Arena."
 
UP NEXT
The rematch between the two teams in La Jolla will be this Friday, Feb. 27. First serve at LionTree Arena is set for 7:00 p.m., with the match also available on ESPN+.
 
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 24-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 39 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 90 percent, the highest rate among public institutions in NCAA Division I or II. For more information on the Tritons, visit UCSDtritons.com or follow UC San Diego Athletics on social media @UCSDtritons.