UC San Diego

BERKELEY, Calif.—UC San Diego women's volleyball defeated Gonzaga, 3-1, on Sunday afternoon in Haas Pavilion. The Tritons (2-1) wrapped up their opening weekend at the Gael Bear Classic, topping the Bulldogs (1-2) by set scores of 25-17, 21-25, 25-21, and 25-17. The Tritons' offensive performance was highlighted by a .394 attack percentage in the third set and 11 service aces in the contest.
 
Molly McCluskey led UC San Diego once again with 15 kills on 30 attempts, finishing with 17.5 points. Ireland McNees added 11 kills, eight digs and totaled 15 points, while Yasemin Elmas contributed significantly by recording three service aces and a .545 hitting percentage on 11 swings. Brynne McGhie orchestrated the offense effectively, accumulating 32 assists and added 13 digs for her first double-double of the season. Dillyn Griffin finished with 10 digs, while Lucia Barroso tallied a match-high six blocks.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
UC San Diego overcame an early 0-4 deficit to take control of the opening set. Elmas highlighted an eight-point scoring run with consecutive service aces, propelling the Tritons to an 8-4 lead. A McCluskey kill sparked a four-point run midway through the set, topped with another Elmas ace to give the Tritons an 18-10 advantage. Despite a brief rally from the Bulldogs, UC San Diego maintained its momentum, closing the set with a service ace by McGhie to secure a 25-17 victory.
 
UC San Diego carried the momentum into the second set, establishing an early 7-3 lead at 7-3. McGhie continued to facilitate the offense efficiently, contributing to a 19-16 advantage. However, Gonzaga responded with a late surge, overtaking the Tritons with a series of errors and a pair of aces, concluding the set at 25-21 in favor of GU.
 
UC San Diego opened the third set decisively with a strong offensive run, quickly establishing a 4-0 lead behind two kills from Elmas. Gonzaga rallied back to take the lead 7-5. However, the Tritons responded with a series of points, highlighted by kills from McNees and Gia Rivera to regain the lead, 10-8. As the set progressed, UC San Diego continued to maintain their advantage. McCluskey and Barroso made impactful contributions with kills that pushed the score to 22-17. Despite Gonzaga's attempts to close the gap, UC San Diego secured the set, 25-21, with a final block by Barroso and McCluskey. 
 
In the fourth set, UC San Diego built an early 5-2 lead, aided by a service ace from McNees and a kill by Madison Johnson. Baillie's performance at the service line proved critical, as her ace and subsequent pressure led to a 9-3 lead. McCluskey delivered a decisive series of plays, including two kills and a service ace, pushing UC San Diego ahead 16-7. Despite a brief rally by the Bulldogs narrowing the gap to 23-16, the Tritons maintained control. McCluskey's final kill sealed the set at 25-17, concluding the match with UC San Diego's victory.
 
TRITON TIDBITS

• Molly McCluskey tallied a season-high 16 kills, her third consecutive match in double figure kills and averaged 4.33 points for the weekend.
• The Tritons recorded season highs in total blocks (9.5) and aces (11).
• UC San Diego is 2-0 against future WCC opponents to start the season.
• The Tritons are 2-1 in four-set matches.
• UC San Diego is now 3-0 in the all-time series with Gonzaga.

 
UP NEXT
UC San Diego will head to Honolulu for the Outrigger Invitational next week, taking on Loyola Marymount (Sept. 3), Utah Tech (Sept. 4) and the host Rainbow Wahine (Sept. 6). Sunday's game against Hawai'i will be streamed for subscribers on Mountain West+ and live statistics will be available for all matches 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 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.