The Tritons, who finished 9-19 overall and 6-16 in league matches a year ago for a ninth-place effort, one spot shy of an MPSF Championship Tournament berth, totaled 22 points to rank behind Hawai'i (30).

Defending MPSF and NCAA champion UC Irvine picked up 11 of the 13 first-place votes (143 points) en route to taking the top spot in the poll as the favorites to repeat. BYU was second with 134 points and the remaining two first-place nods.

The MPSF will feature 13 teams in 2013 with the addition of the Cal Baptist Lancers. The teams are set to play a 24-match schedule, facing their 12 opponents both home and away, with the exception of back-to-back same-site meetings with Hawai'i on an annual rotation.

In other men's volleyball news last week, UCSD senior libero Chase Frishman garnered preseason All-America honorable mention from Off the Block. The Dana Point native completed his junior campaign by earning All-MPSF honorable mention. The Tritons return another All-MPSF honorable mention player from 2012 in senior outside hitter Carl Eberts from Huntington Beach. Head coach Kevin Ring enters his eighth season in charge at his alma mater.

UCSD is less than a month away from opening its 2013 campaign, Jan. 4-5, at the eight-team UC Santa Barbara Asics Invitational. The Tritons take on the Lewis Flyers, out of Romeoville, Ill., to begin the tournament at 10 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 4.

-- UCSDtritons.com --