LA JOLLA, Calif. – The UC San Diego men's volleyball team got its season off to a solid start Tuesday by sweeping McKendree at home inside LionTree Arena.
Set scores went 25-21, 25-22, and 25-22.
The Bearcats dropped to 0-3 on the season.
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HOW IT HAPPENED
UC San Diego held leads in several key statistical categories including kills (39-31), aces (6-2), blocks (8-4), and digs (33-28). In addition, the Tritons hit .299 (39-13-87) to the Bearcats' .202 (31-14-84).
Triton Josh Schellinger led all players with 12 kills while hitting .346. He also contributed defensively with a match co-high nine digs.
Leo Pravednikov put down nine kills with five blocks and Anthony Cherfan had seven. Setter Bryce Dvorak dished out 34 assists while also adding four aces and five digs. Jim Garrison had seven blocks (two solos) and Keegan Cook matched Schellinger with nine digs.
McKendree was paced by Nikos Xydakis with seven kills. Kevin Schuele and D'Aaron McCraney each chipped in with six kills. Schuele led the Bearcats in digs with seven.
UC San Diego is ranked 18th in the first national poll of the season while McKendree is 20th.
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THE HIGHLIGHTS
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BRAD ROSTRATTER INTERVIEW
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TRITON TIDBITS
• UC San Diego has won four-consecutive season openers.
• Making their Triton debuts tonight were Keegan Cook and Bryce Dvorak.
• McKendree is located in Lebanon, Ill., and plays in the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (MIVA).
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UP NEXT
UC San Diego plays its second match in as many days Wednesday when it hosts Saint Francis at 7 p.m.
Season tickets and single-match tickets are available through the Triton Box Office.
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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.
