CHICO, Calif. - UC San Diego had its seven-match win streak halted Saturday as the Tritons were swept at Chico State in California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) volleyball action.

Scores of the match at Acker Gym went 25-22, 25-17 and 25-23 in favor of the Wildcats. The loss put UCSD at 18-7 overall and 13-3 in the CCAA. Chico State improved to 15-9 on the year and 9-8 in the league.

"Chico beat us with a lot of hustle and teamwork," said UCSD head coach Ricci Luyties. "They came ready to play and were better than us."

The Tritons' attack percentage was almost 100 points lower than the Wildcats' as they finished at .177 (39-17-124). Chico State swung at .271 (50-15-129) for the night.

Three Tritons totaled 10 or more digs, including Amber Hawthorne (match-high 15), Sophie Rowe (12) and Lizzy Andrews (11). Hawthorne had 32 assists to complete a double-double.

Danielle Dahle had a team-high 10 kills. Kameron Cooper had six kills and hit .462 with no errors, while she and Rachel Gam each recorded three blocks.

The Wildcats were led by the double-double of Alex Shurtz with a match-high 17 kills and 10 digs. Jessica Simms had 14 digs and Emily Duran and Molly Ratto each had 10 scoops.

In the opening set, UCSD had it tied at 22-22, but Chico State reeled off three straight points, two coming on Shurtz kills, to close it out. It was the only frame that UCSD led in attack percentage, .171 to .156.

The second stanza was all Chico as the Wildcats hit .400 to UCSD's .184. They scored 10 of the first 12 points and never looked back.

The third set was the most competitive as it had nine tie scores and four lead changes. An early five-point run gave UCSD a 9-5 lead. However, the Wildcats scored six in a row to go up by a score of 12-11. Chico did not give up the lead until, at 20-18, the Tritons had three straight kills to move ahead 21-20. Chico State quickly took the lead back, but UCSD kept it close, getting to within one at 24-23 after a Wildcat attack error. The Tritons followed with their own hitting error to end the match.

UCSD had lost just two sets over its seven-match win streak, taking five victories via a sweep.

"We've been playing well lately, but tonight wasn't our night," said Luyties. "We have to move on and be prepared for more tough games coming up."

UCSD hosts a trio of CCAA matches next week, starting with league-leading Cal State San Bernardino on Wednesday, Nov. 7. San Francisco State will be at RIMAC Arena on Friday, Nov. 9, followed by Sonoma State on Saturday, Nov. 10. The final three regular season home contests start at 7 p.m.

Cal State San Bernardino defeated Cal State Stanislaus in three sets Saturday night to move to 18-7 overall and 15-2 in the CCAA. 

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