HONOLULU-The Hawaiian Islands Presents the 2024 Outrigger Big West Men's Volleyball Championship is set to get underway Thursday in Honolulu.
UC San Diego is serving as the event's fourth seed and opens play against fifth-seeded CSUN Thursday at 4:30 p.m. HT/7:30 p.m. Pacific.
Head-to-head this season, the Tritons swept the series againstthe Matadors, winning 3-1 in La Jolla and 3-2 in Northridge. (Box score 1 | Box Score 2)
UC San Diego brings a 12-14 overall record in while CSUN is 12-15.
In the Big West Preseason Coaches' Poll, the two squads were picked to tie for fifth in the six-team conference.
This will be the sixth running of the Big West Championship, which began in 2018 (no tournament in 2020).
THE ESSENTIALS
---Match 27: Big West Championship First Round---
• No. 4 seedUC San Diego (12-14, 4-6) vs. No. 5 seedCSUN(12-15, 3-7)
• Thursday/ April 18/ 4:30 p.m. HT, 7:30p.m. Pacific
• SimpliFiArena at Stan Sheriff Center/ Honolulu (map)
•Tickets
• ESPN+ ($)
•Live Stats(free)
• Twitter / Instagram
ABOUT THE UC SAN DIEGO TRITONS
Roster||Statistics
• Location: La Jolla, Calif.
• Conference: Big West
• Overall: 12-14
• Big West: 4-6
• Home: 7-6
• Away: 1-7
• Neutral: 4-1
• Streak: 1 win
•AVCAnational ranking: 20
• Big West Preseason Poll: Tie for 5th of 6
ABOUT THECSUN MATADORS
Roster|Schedule & Results|Statistics
• Location: Northridge, Calif.
• Conference: Big West
• Overall: 12-15
• Big West: 3-7
• Home: 8-7
• Away: 3-6
• Neutral: 1-2
• Streak: 1 win
• AVCAnational ranking: 14
• Big WestPreseason Poll: Tie for 5th of 6
TRITONS v. MATADORS: SERIES HISTORY
• Overall: CSUN leads 80-15
• First meeting: 2/18/77 (CSUN wins 3-1 in La Jolla)
• Last Meeting: 3/15/24(UCSDwins 3-2in Northridge)
• Last CSUNwin: 2/24/23(3-1 in La Jolla)
• Streak: UCSD 3wins
2024 BIG WEST CHAMPIONSHIPSCHEDULE
First Round - Thursday, April 18
• Match1: No. 4 UC San Diego vs. No. 5 CSUN, 4:30 p.m. HT/7:30 p.m. Pacific
• Match2: No. 3 Hawai'i vs. No. 6 UC Santa Barbara, 7 p.m.HT/10 p.m. Pacific
Semifinals - Friday, April 19
• Match3: No. 1 Long Beach State vs. Winner Match 1, 4:30 p.m. HT/7:30 p.m. Pacific
• Match 4: No. 2 UC Irvine vs. Winner Match 2, 7 p.m. HT/10 p.m. Pacific
Championship- Saturday, April 20
• Match 5: Winner Match 3 vs. Winner Match 4, 7 p.m. HT/10 p.m. Pacific
UC SAN DIEGO AT THE BIG WEST CHAMPIONSHIP
• Overall:2-5
• vs. CSUN:1-0
• vs. Hawai'i: 1-0
• vs. Long Beach State: Have not met
• vs. UC Irvine 0-3
• vs. UC Santa Barbara: 0-2
• As the No. 4 seed: 2-2
• As the No. 5 seed: 0-1
• As the No. 6 seed: 0-2
2023 (at UC Irvine)
• No. 4UC Santa Barbara 3, No. 5 UC San Diego 2 (First Round)
2022 (at Hawai'i)
• No. 5UC Irvine 3, No. 4 UC San Diego 0 (First Round)
2021 (at Hawai'i)
• No. 4UC San Diego 3, No. 5 CSUN 1 (First Round)
• No. 4UC San Diego 3, No. 1 Hawai'i 2 (Semifinal)
• No. 2UC Santa Barbara 3, No. 4 UC San Diego 1 (Final)
2019 (at Hawai'i)
• No. 3UC Irvine 3, No. 6 UC San Diego 0 (First Round)
2018 (at Long Beach State)
• No. 3UC Irvine 3, No. 6 UC San Diego 0 (First Round)
CHERFAN AND LARA EARN ALL-BIG WEST ACCOLADES
UC San Diego men's volleyball playersAnthony CherfanandSebastian Laraearned postseason accolades from the Big West on Wednesday, April 17.Cherfan was tabbed All-Big West First Team while Lara picked up All-Big West Honorable Mention.
A junior opposite hitter, Cherfanleads the Tritons in kills (269), points (333.5)andservice aces (35) and is third in blocks (57). Over 86 sets played, he is averaging 3.88 points, 3.13 kills, and 0.41 aces per set. Cherfan has registered a double-figure kill total in 16 matches, including a career-best 17 in late January in a five-set win against USC. His six service aces in that victory were the most by a Triton since 2006.
Cherfan was named the Big West Offensive Player of the Week Monday as well. Against fifth-ranked Hawai'iat LionTree Arena in La Jolla, heproduced 13 kills while hitting .310 to help the Tritons secure their first sweep over the Rainbow Warriors since 2012.He also had four blocks, two digs, and two aces, finishing with a match-high 17 points.
Cherfan is a Communicationmajor in UC San Diego's Roosevelt College.
Lara, a junior outside hitter, is second on the team in kills (202) andpoints(225)and fourth in total blocks (35). Over 80 sets played, Lara is averaging 2.53 kills, 2.81 points, and 0.44 blocks per set. He has produced 10 or more kills seven times, putting down a career-high17 in a conference win at CSUN in mid-March.
Lara is a Communication major in Marshall College.
Both Cherfan and Lara are in their first season with the Tritons after transferring to UC San Diego - Cherfan from BYU and Lara from Orange Coast College.
TRITONS SWEEP HAWAI'I IN LA JOLLA
For the first time since Jan. 6 of 2012, UC San Diego swept fifth-ranked Hawai'i on April 13at Liontree Arena. Set scores were 27-25, 25-21, and 25-20.
For the Tritons on Senior Night, Sebastian Larafinished with a match-high14 kills while hitting .478. Anthony Cherfanwas just behind with13 kills and added four blocks, two service aces, and two digs.Josh Schellingerhad seven kills whileJim Garrisonhad five andputdown four aces, a new career-high. MiddlePeter Selchohad four blocks (one solo). All three seniors played a role for UC San Diego. Gabriel Dyer, the Tritons' primary setter, finished with 29 assists and a match-high 10 digs. He also contributed two kills, and ace, and a block. Paya Vatanshenas had three assists and three digs, while Andrew Boyle, a setter, totaled a kill, a dig, and an assist.
Similar to Friday's match (3-1 UH win), UC San Diegoand Hawai'iwent toe-to-toe in several team statistics. The Tritons held a .352 (43-11-91) hitting percentage to the Rainbow Warriors'.337 (40-12-83). UC San Diego shined from the service line, converting nine aces to the visitor's four. The Tritons held a slight advantage in blocks, 8-7 and the Rainbow Warriors won the digs category, 31-22.
With the victory, the Tritons broke a four-match win drought against the Rainbow Warriors dating back to March 2, 2022. It wasthe first time UC San Diego won its final conference match of the seasonsince joining the Big West in 2018.
BIG WEST STANDINGS
(through 4/17)
| Team | Big West | Overall |
| 1. Long Beach State | 9-1 | 23-2 |
| 2. UC Irvine | 7-3 | 18-9 |
| 3. Hawai'i | 5-5 | 22-6 |
| 4. UC San Diego | 4-6 | 12-14 |
| 5. CSUN | 3-7 | 12-15 |
| 6. UC Santa Barbara | 2-8 | 9-17 |
2024 UC SAN DIEGO ROSTER BREAKDOWN
Starters Returning (4)
• Gabriel Dyer (JR, S/OPP)
• Jim Garrison (SO, MB)
• Nick Rigo (SR, MB)
• Josh Schellinger (SO, OH)
Starters Lost (2)
• Ryan Ka (OH)
• Berkeley Miesfeld (OPP)
Primary LiberosReturning (1)
• Evan Boyle (SO)
Others Returning (10)
• Andrew Boyle (SR, S)
• Josh Ewert (SO, OH)
• Matthew Lim (JR, OH)
• Leo Pravednikov (SO, OH)
• Brett Pursley (SO, OH)
• Michael Robertson (SO, OPP)
• Peter Selcho (SO, MB)
• Paya Vatanshenas (JR, L)
• Sam Warren (JR, OH)
• Cameron Wurl (SO, S)
Others Lost (4)
• Ben Blakely (OPP/OH)
• Spiro Maranda (MB)
• Michael Urdahl (MB)
• Zachary Weston (MB)
Newcomers (6)
• Luke Chandler (JR, OPP)
• Anthony Cherfan (JR, OPP)
• Keegan Cook (FR, L)
• Sebastian Lara (JR, OH)
• Leo Wiemelt (FR, MB)
• Charlie Wilson (FR, MB)
UC SAN DIEGO IN THE NCAA TOP 50
(through 4/16)
• 16 in blocks/set (2.234)
• 31 in hitting percentage (.257)
• 38 in aces/set (1.27)
• 41 in opponent hitting percentage (.279)
• 42 in assists/set (10.22)
• 43 in kills/set (10.88)
• 45 in attacks/set (25.44)
TRITONS IN THE NCAA TOP 50
(through 4/16)
• Evan Boyle: 40in digs/set
• Anthony Cherfan: 23 in aces/set (.407), 35in attacks/set (7.49), 37 in points/set (3.88), 50 in kills/set (3.13)
• Jim Garrison: 10 in blocks/set (1.037)
• Peter Selcho: 30 in blocks /set (.871)
UC SAN DIEGO'S RECORD ...
(through 4/17)
| Overall | 12-14 |
| In the Big West | 4-6 |
| At home | 7-6 |
| On the road | 1-7 |
| At a neutral site | 4-1 |
| In 3 set matches | 4-11 |
| In 4 set matches | 5-1 |
| In 5 set matches | 3-2 |
| On Tuesdays | 1-1 |
| On Wednesdays | 3-0 |
| On Thursdays | 3-2 |
| On Fridays | 3-8 |
| On Saturdays | 2-2 |
| On Sundays | 0-1 |
| In January | 3-6 |
| In February | 4-2 |
| In March | 4-4 |
| In April | 1-2 |
| vs. Nationally-ranked teams | 6-12 |
| vs. Un-ranked teams | 6-2 |
| With more kills than opponent | 8-1 |
| With fewer kills than opponent | 4-12 |
| When kills are equal | 0-1 |
| When out-hitting opponent | 11-1 |
| When out-hitby opponent | 1-13 |
| When hitting is equal | 0-0 |
| With more aces than opponent | 8-1 |
| With fewer aces than opponent | 3-11 |
| When aces are equal | 1-2 |
| With more blocks than opponent | 8-6 |
| With fewer blocks than opponent | 3-7 |
| When blocks are equal | 1-1 |
| With more digs than opponent | 7-3 |
| With fewer digs than opponent | 5-10 |
| When digsare equal | 0-1 |
THE LAST TIME UC SAN DIEGO ...
(through 4/17)
| Won a match | 4/13/24 vs. Hawai'i(3-0) |
| Lost a match | 4/12/24 vs. Hawai'i (1-3) |
| Won at home | 4/13/24 vs. Hawai'i(3-0) |
| Lost at home | 4/12/24 vs. Hawai'i (1-3) |
| Won on the road | 3/15/24 at CSUN (3-2) |
| Lost on the road | 4/5/24 at UC Santa Barbara (2-3) |
| Won at neutral site | 2/16/24 vs. Edward Waters (3-0 at Long Beach State) |
| Lost at a neutral site | 1/5/24 vs. Grand Canyon (0-3 at UC Santa Barbara) |
| Won 3-0 at home | 4/13/24 vs. Hawai'i |
| Won 3-0 on the road | 3/16/23 at CSUN |
| Won 3-0 at a neutral site | 2/16/24 vs. Edward Waters (at Long Beach State) |
| Lost 0-3 at home | 3/30/24 vs.Long Beach State |
| Lost 0-3on the road | 3/29/24 at Long Beach State |
| Lost 0-3 at a neutral site | 1/5/24 vs. Grand Canyon (at UC Santa Barbara) |
| Won in four sets | 3/14/24 vs. CSUN |
| Lost in four sets | 4/12/24 vs. Hawai'i |
| Won 3-2 at home | 1/31/24 vs. USC |
| Won 3-2on the road | 3/15/23 at CSUN |
| Won 3-2 at a neutral site | 1/6/24 vs. NJIT (at UC Santa Barbara) |
| Lost 3-2 at home | 3/5/23 vs. Ball State |
| Lost 3-2 on the road | 4/5/24 at UC Santa Barbara |
| Lost 3-2 at a neutral site | 4/20/23 vs. UC Santa Barbara (at UC Irvine) |
| Won in five sets after trailing 0-2 | 3/15/23 at CSUN |
| Lost in five sets after leading 2-0 | 1/7/23 vs. USC (at UC Santa Barbara) |
| Defeated a Big West opponent | 4/13/24 vs. Hawai'i (3-0) |
| Lost to a Big West opponent | 4/12/24 vs. Hawai'i (1-3) |
| Defeated a non-conference opponent | 3/12/24 vs. Harvard (3-1) |
| Lost to a non-conference opponent | 2/8/24 at Concordia (0-3) |
| Defeated a ranked opponent | 4/13/24 vs. #5 Hawai'i (3-0) |
| Lost to a ranked opponent | 4/12/24 vs. Hawai'i (1-3) |
| Played the No. 1 team | 3/30/24 vs. Long Beach State (0-3) |
| Defeated the No. 1 team | 4/23/21 at Hawai'i (3-2 in Big West semifinal) |
UC SAN DIEGO SEASON-HIGHS
(through 4/17)
| Statistic | Team | Individual |
| Kills | 58 (1/6 vs. NJIT) | 17, Lara (3/15 at CSUN); Schellinger (3/1 vs. UCI); Cherfan (1/31 vs. USC) |
| Attack Attempts | 135 (1/6 vs. NJIT) | 40, Cherfan(1/13 at Ohio State) |
| Attack Percentage | .525 (38-6-61) (2/15 vs. Central State) | .700, Schellinger (7-0-10) (2/16 vs. Edward Waters) |
| Assists | 55, 2 times (1/31 vs. USC) | 50, A. Boyle (1/31 vs. USC) |
| Aces | 14 (1/31 vs. USC) | 6, Cherfan (1/31 vs. USC) |
| Digs | 44 (4/5atUCSB) | 15, E. Boyle(1/6 vs.NJIT) |
| Block Solo | 4, 3 times (4/5 at UCSB) | 2, Selcho(2/28 vs. Charleston); Lara (1/6 vs.NJIT); Garrison (4/5 at UCSB, 1/5 vs. GCU) |
| Block Assist | 36 (1/6 vs. NJIT) | 12, Selcho (1/6 vs.NJIT) |
| Total Blocks | 21 (1/6 vs. NJIT) | 12, Selcho (1/6/ vs.NJIT) |
| Points | 84 (1/6 vs. NJIT) | 24.5, Cherfan (1/31 vs. USC) |
MATCH-BY-MATCH LEADERS
(through 4/17)
| Opponent | Kills | Assists | Aces | Blocks | Digs | Points |
| vs. George Mason | Cherfan/Schellinger 14 | Wurl 44 | Cherfan/Schellinger/Wurl 2 | Garrison 5 | E. Boyle 10 | Schellinger 18 |
| vs. Grand Canyon | Lim 9 | Wurl 23 | Lim 2 | Selcho 4 | Cherfan 7 | Lim 12 |
| vs. NJIT | Cherfan 15 | Wurl 44 | Cherfan/Wurl 2 | Selcho 12 | E. Boyle 15 | Cherfan 19.5 |
| at Ball State | Cherfan 13 | Wurl 26 | Cherfan 1 | 0 | E. Boyle 4 | Cherfan 14 |
| at Ohio State | Lim 13 | Wurl 28 | Cherfan 2 | Selcho 7 | Lim 7 | Lim 16.5 |
| Princeton | Cherfan 7 | Wurl 17 | Lim/Selcho/Wurl 1 | Selcho 5 | E. Boyle 6 | Cherfan 8 |
| Grand Canyon | Garrison 9 | Wurl 21 | Selcho 2 | Garrison 4 | E. Boyle 6 | Garrison 11 |
| UCLA | Cherfan 7 | A. Boyle 20 | A. Boyle 2 | Garrison 3 | A. Boyle 6 | Cherfan 8 |
| USC | Cherfan 17 | A. Boyle 50 | Cherfan 6 | Selcho 4 | E. Boyle 11 | Cherfan 24.5 |
| at USC | Schellinger 10 | A. Boyle 28 | A. Boyle, Chandler, Vatanshenas 1 | Selcho 4 | E. Boyle 7 | Schellinger 11.5 |
| at Concordia | Cherfan 7 | A. Boyle 19 | A. Boyle, Chandler, Pravednikov, Schellinger 1 | A. Boyle 2 | E. Boyle 5 | Cherfan 7.5 |
| vs. Central State | Pravednikov 8 | A. Boyle 30 | Chandler/Cherfan/Wiemelt 2 | Selcho 3 | Wiemelt 4 | Wiemelt 9.5 |
| vs. Edward Waters | Lara 9 | Dyer 24 | Selcho 3 | Cherfan/Wiemelt 4 | Dyer 7 | Lara 10 |
| UC Santa Barbara | Lara 13 | Dyer 38 | Cherfan 2 | Garrison/Schellinger 7 | Dyer 12 | Cherfan 15.5 |
| Charleston | Cherfan 16 | Dyer 38 | Cherfan 3 | Garrison 7 | Dyer 10 | Cherfan 20.5 |
| UC Irvine | Schellinger 17 | Dyer 33 | 0 | Garrison 2 | E. Boyle 6 | Schellinger 17.5 |
| at UC Irvine | Cherfan 13 | Dyer 26 | Cherfan 2 | Garrison/Lara 3 | Dyer 9 | Cherfan 15 |
| Saint Katherine | Warren 9 | Wurl 17 | A. Boyle/Pravednikov/Pursley/Warren/Wurl 1 | Wiemelt 5 | Vatanshenas 5 | Warren 11.5 |
| Harvard | Lara 16 | Dyer 40 | Cherfan 4 | Dyer/Selcho 4 | E. Boyle 8 | Cherfan 17.5 |
| CSUN | Cherfan 12 | Dyer 32 | Cherfan/Pursely 2 | Cherfan/Garrison 7 | Cherfan/Schellinger 7 | Cherfan 17.5 |
| at CSUN | Lara 17 | Dyer 46 | Cherfan 2 | Cherfan/Garrison 5 | Dyer 13 | Cherfan 20.5 |
| at Long Beach St. | Cherfan 11 | Dyer 23 | Garrison 1 | Garrison 2 | E. Boyle 8 | Cherfan 11.5 |
| vs. Long Beach St. | Lara/Schellinger 9 | Dyer 29 | Cherfan/Selcho 1 | Garrison 5 | Dyer/Schellinger 7 | Lara 9.5 |
| at UCSB | Lara 16 | Wurl 32 | Cherfan/Dyer 1 | Garrison 8 | E. Boyle/Wurl 9 | Lara 17.5 |
| vs. Hawai'i | Cherfan 16 | Dyer 34 | 5 with 1 | Garrison 6 | E. Boyle/11 | Cherfan 18.5 |
| vs. Hawai'i | Lara 14 | Dyer 29 | Garrison 4 | Cherfan/Garrison/Selcho 4 | Dyer 10 | Cherfan 17 |
TRITON STARTING LINEUPS
(through 4/17)
| Date | Opponent | Result | OH | OH | OPP | MB | MB | S | L |
| 1/4 | vs. George Mason | W 3-1 | Lim | Schellinger | Cherfan | Garrison | Selcho | Wurl | E. Boyle |
| 1/5 | vs. Grand Canyon | L 0-3 | Lim | Schellinger | Cherfan | Garrison | Selcho | Wurl | E. Boyle |
| 1/6 | vs.NJIT | W 3-2 | Lim | Schellinger | Cherfan | Garrison | Selcho | Wurl | E. Boyle |
| 1/11 | at Ball State | L 0-3 | Lara | Lim | Cherfan | Garrison | Selcho | Wurl | E. Boyle |
| 1/13 | at Ohio State | L 2-3 | Lara | Lim | Cherfan | Garrison | Selcho | Wurl | E. Boyle |
| 1/16 | Princeton | L 0-3 | Lara | Lim | Cherfan | Garrison | Selcho | Wurl | E. Boyle |
| 1/19 | Grand Canyon | L 0-3 | Lara | Schellinger | Cherfan | Garrison | Selcho | Wurl | E. Boyle |
| 1/26 | UCLA | L 0-3 | Lara | Lim | Cherfan | Garrison | Selcho | A. Boyle | E. Boyle |
| 1/31 | USC | W 3-2 | Lara | Lim | Cherfan | Garrison | Selcho | A. Boyle | E. Boyle |
| 2/2 | at USC | L 0-3 | Lim | Schellinger | Chandler | Garrison | Selcho | A. Boyle | E. Boyle |
| 2/8 | at Concordia | L 0-3 | Lara | Schellinger | Cherfan | Selcho | Wiemelt | A. Boyle | E. Boyle |
| 2/15 | vs. Central State | W 3-0 | Lara | Schellinger | Cherfan | Pravednikov | Wiemelt | A. Boyle | E. Boyle |
| 2/16 | vs. Edward Waters | W 3-0 | Lara | Schellinger | Cherfan | Selcho | Wiemelt | Dyer | E. Boyle |
| 2/23 | UC Santa Barbara | W 3-1 | Lara | Schellinger | Cherfan | Garrison | Selcho | Dyer | E. Boyle |
| 2/28 | Charleston | W 3-1 | Lara | Schellinger | Cherfan | Garrison | Selcho | Dyer | E. Boyle |
| 3/1 | UC Irvine | L 0-3 | Lara | Schellinger | Cherfan | Garrison | Selcho | Dyer | E. Boyle |
| 3/3 | at UC Irvine | L 0-3 | Lara | Schellinger | Cherfan | Garrison | Selcho | Dyer | E. Boyle |
| 3/6 | Saint Katherine | W 3-0 | Pursley | Warren | Cherfan | Pravednikov | Wiemelt | Wurl | Vatanshenas |
| 3/12 | Harvard | W 3-1 | Lara | Schellinger | Cherfan | Garrison | Selcho | Dyer | E. Boyle |
| 3/14 | CSUN | W 3-1 | Lara | Schellinger | Cherfan | Garrison | Selcho | Dyer | E. Boyle |
| 3/15 | at CSUN | W 3-2 | Lara | Schellinger | Cherfan | Garrison | Selcho | Dyer | E. Boyle |
| 3/29 | at Long Beach St. | L 0-3 | Lara | Schellinger | Cherfan | Garrison | Selcho | Dyer | E. Boyle |
| 3/30 | Long Beach St. | L 0-3 | Lara | Schellinger | Cherfan | Garrison | Selcho | Dyer | E. Boyle |
| 4/5 | at UC Santa Barbara | L 2-3 | Lara | Schellinger | Cherfan | Garrison | Selcho | Dyer | E. Boyle |
| 4/12 | vs. Hawai'i | L 1-3 | Lara | Schellinger | Cherfan | Garrison | Selcho | Dyer | E. Boyle |
| 4/13 | vs. Hawai'i | W 3-0 | Lara | Schellinger | Cherfan | Garrison | Selcho | Dyer | Vatanshenas |
FOUR ON THE FLOOR
UC San Diego's second four-match win streak of the season was halted on March 29 with a loss at Long Beach State.The Tritons had collectedwins against Saint Katherine (3/6), Harvard (3/12), and CSUN (3/14 and 3/15). The first streakcameafter defeating Central State (2/15), Edward Waters (2/16), UC Santa Barbara (2/23), and Charleston (2/28). Prior to this season, the Tritons'last four-match win streak came in 2022 between Feb. 11-19. It included back-to-back road victories at No. 11 BYU. The first match in Provo was the program's first-ever win against the Cougars.
DYER MAKER
Junior setter Gabriel Dyer returned to the court on Feb. 16 against Edward Waters. It was his first match ofthe season after missing the previous 12 due to injury. The last time he had played was on Dec. 30 in a scrimmage against Calgary. In his return vs. EWU, Dyer had 24 assistsand set the Tritons to a .493 attack percentage in a three-set victory. He also added two blocks and seven digs.
LOUD CROWD PROUD
On Jan. 26, 2024, LionTree Arena hosted a UC San Diego Volleyball record2,474 fans for itsmatch against UCLA.The Tritons have drawn a crowd of at least 1,000 sixtimes (2,474 1/26/24 vs. UCLA; 1,689 3/2/13 vs. BYU;1,648 1/25/19 vs. UCLA; 1,505 2/9/22 vs. UCLA;1,069 4/16/22 vs. UC Santa Barbara; 1,012 3/5/11 vs. Stanford).
SCHELLINGERSELECTED AS BIG WEST DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Triton junior Josh Schellinger was named the Big West Defensive Player of the Week on Feb. 26. In UC San Diego's conference opener, a 3-1 win against UC Santa Barbara in La Jolla, Schellinger finished with a career-high seven blocks (1 solo) to go along with eightdigs, sixkills, and a service ace. All in all, he accounted for 11 points.In 2023, Schellinger was named the Big West Freshman of the Week four times en route to earning Big West All-Freshman Team accolades.
WIEMELT HONORED AS THE BIG WEST FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
Leo Wiemeltwas tabbed the Big West Men's Volleyball Freshman of the Week on Jan. 19. A true freshman, Wiemelt hit .556 and totaled 16.5 points, 12 kills, 5 blocks, 5 digs, and 2 aces over two matches to help the Tritons earnback-to-back sweeps at LBSU's Big West/SIAC Crossover. Against Central State, Wiemeltset new career-highs with 9.5 points, 7 kills, 2 aces, and 4 digs. He hit .875 (7-0-9) in that match. The next day against Edward Waters, the middle blockerlogged a career-high 4 blocks to go along with 5 kills and a dig. He hit .300 (5-2-10) in that sweep.
SELCHONAMED BIG WEST DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Peter Selcho was named the first Big West Men's Volleyball Defensive Player of the Week on Jan. 8. A sophom*ore middle blocker, Selcho was a force at the net, helping the Tritons post a 2-1 record atUC Santa Barbara'sseason-opening Asics Invitational. Named to the all-tournament team, Selcho recorded a team-high 19 total blocks (1.6/set) and hit .306(17-6-36) over the three matches. His biggest outingwas in a 3-2 win against NJIT. Selcho establishedcareer-highs with 12 blocks, eight kills, 14 points, and two digs. He also posted a solid.538 (8-1-13) attack percentage. Two days prior, Selcho kicked off his 2024 season with eight kills in a 3-1 win over 20th-ranked George Mason. He swung at a .429 clip in that contest.
MATTHEW LIM MAKESALL-TOURNEY TEAM IN SANTA BARBARA
Junior outside Matthew Lim was named to the all-tournament team at UC Santa Barbara'sAsics Invitational. Over three matches, he averaged 3.4 points/set and 2.7 kills/set while hitting .308 to help the Tritons post a 2-1 record. He started with 11 kills in a win over No. 20 George Mason, followed with nine kills in a loss to No. 7 Grand Canyon, and finished with 10 in a win over NJIT. He also added six blocks, six digs, andfour aces.
ACE FREELY
On Jan. 31 against USC in La Jolla, Anthony Cherfan floored six service aces. That number is tied for the most aces in a single match by any Triton during the team's NCAA DI/II era (since 2001).The last Triton to do it was Chris Sayers vs. Stanford on April 14, 2006.
AVCA NATIONAL POLL(4/15)
1. UCLA
2. Long Beach State
3. UC Irvine
4. Grand Canyon
5. Hawai'i
6. BYU
7. Stanford
8. Penn State
9. Pepperdine
10. BallState
11. OhioState
12. Loyola Chicago
13. USC
14. CSUN
15. George Mason
16. Lewis
17. Princeton
18. McKendree
19. Lindenwood
20. UC San Diego
Receiving votes: Purdue Fort Wayne, Saint Francis (Pa.), UC Santa Barbara
BIG RANKINGS FOR THE BIG WEST
Fourof six Big Westteams can be found in the latest AVCATop 20National Poll.
2.Long Beach State
3. UC Irvine
5. Hawai'i
14. CSUN
20. UC San Diego
UC SAN DIEGO IN THE 2024AVCA NATIONAL POLL
Week 15 (4/15): 20
Week 14 (4/8): Not ranked (receiving votes)
Week 13 (4/1): 19
Week 12 (3/25): 17
Week 11 (3/18): 16
Week 10 (3/11): 18
Week 9 (3/4): 18
Week 8 (2/26): 18
Week 7 (2/19): T-20
Week 6 (2/12): 20
Week 5 (2/5): 19
Week 4 (1/29): 19
Week 3 (1/22): 20
Week 2 (1/15): T-18
Week 1 (1/10): 17
Preseason (1/3): Receiving votes
2024BIG WEST PRESEASON POLL
1. Long Beach State (23 points, 3 first-place votes)
2. Hawai'i(21 points, 2 first-place votes)
3. UC Irvine (19 points, 1 first-place vote)
4. UC Santa Barbara (11 points)
T-5. CSUN (8 points)
T-5. UC San Diego (8 points)
HEAD COACH BRAD ROSTRATTER
Brad Rostratter enters his second season leading UC San Diego in 2024. He was named head coach of the men's volleyball program on October 7, 2022. Rostratter earned his first career win with the Tritons on Jan. 5, 2023, when the team defeated Lincoln Memorial in five sets at UC Santa Barbara's Asics Invitational. It was the team's season opener. Rostratter collected his first Big West victory on the road at CSUNwhen the Tritons swept the Matadors on March 16. A National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA)Coach of the Year and two-time Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC)Coach of the Year, Rostrattercame to La Jolla from Vanguard University in Costa Mesa, Calif., where he served as the men's volleyball head coach since the program's inception in 2019. He led the Lions to a pair of GSACregular seasontitles, a league tournament title, and two appearances at the NAIA National Tournament. Complete Rostratter Bio
2024 AWARD WINNERS
• Anthony Cherfan: All-Big West First Team, Big West Offensive Player of the Week (4/15)
• Sebastian Lara: All-Big West Honorable Mention
• Josh Schellinger: Big West Defensive Player of the Week (2/26)
• Leo Wiemelt: Big West Freshman of the Week (2/19)
• Peter Selcho: Big West Defensive Player of the Week (1/8),Asics Invitational All-Tournament Team (1/6)
• Matthew Lim: Asics Invitational All-Tournament Team (1/6)
2023 AWARD WINNERS
• Evan Boyle: Big WestAll-Freshman Team, Big West Defensive Player of the Week (3/6), Big West Freshman of the Week (1/9)
• Josh Ewert: Big West All-Freshman Team
• Jim Garrison: Big West All-Freshman Team, Big West Freshman of the Week (4/10)
• Josh Schellinger: Big West All-Freshman Team, Four-time Big West Freshman of the Week (4/17, 2/27, 2/20, 1/23), Off the Block Offensive Player of the Night (1/18)
• Peter Selcho: Off the Block Defensive Player of the Night (1/17)
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FOR THE YOUNGER CROWD
Got some young Triton fans in your family? If they are eighth grade or under, check out theJunior Triton Club. Membership includes a free t-shirt, admission to over 100 UC San Diego home athletic events, and much more!
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WHY THE TRITONS?
The Triton is described as the offspring of Poseidon and Amphitrite, a demigod of the sea with a lower part of the body like that of a fish. It is known as a mighty and fierce sea warrior. Given UC San Diego's close proximity to the Pacific Ocean and its connections with the world-famous Scripps Institution of Oceanography, the Triton became our mascot in 1964.
NCAA MEN'S VOLLEYBALL LANDSCAPE
The NCAA combines Division I and Division II teams into a single national championship (National Collegiate Championship), while Division III squads have a stand-alone championship (NCAA Division III National Championship). There are 61 Division I and Division II teams combined, with 53 of those making up eight conferences. Another eight institutions are independent.
Big West(6)
CSUN(DI)
Hawai'i (DI)
Long Beach State (DI)
UC Irvine (DI)
UC San Diego (DI)
UC Santa Barbara (DI)
Conference Carolinas (8)
Barton (DII)
Belmont Abbey (DII)
Emmanuel (GA) (DII)
Erskine(DII)
King (TN)(DII)
Lees-McRae(DII)
Mount Olive(DII)
North Greenville(DII)
East Coast Conference (4)
American International (DII)
Dominican (NY) (DII)
Roberts Wesleyan (DII)
St. Thomas Aquinas (DII)
Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (6)
Charleston (WV) (DII)
George Mason (DI)
Harvard (DI)
NJIT (DI)
Penn State (DI)
Princeton (DI)
Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (9)
Ball State (DI)
Lewis (DII)
Lindenwood (DI)
Loyola Chicago (DI)
McKendree (DII)
Ohio State (DI)
Purdue Fort Wayne (DI)
Queens University of Charlotte (DI)
Quincy (DII)
Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (7)
BYU (DI)
Concordia(DII)
Grand Canyon (DI)
Pepperdine (DI)
Stanford (DI)
UCLA (DI)
USC (DI)
Northeast Conference (7)
Daemen(DII)
D'Youville(DII)
Fairleigh Dickinson(DI)
Long Island University(DI)
Merrimack(DI)
Sacred Heart (DI)
Saint Francis (Pa.) (DI)
Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (6)
Benedict (DII)
Central State (DII)
Edward Waters (DII)
Fort Valley State (DII)
Kentucky State (DII)
Morehouse (DII)
Independent (8)
Lincoln Memorial (DII)
Maryville (DII)
Missouri S&T (DII)
Puerto Rico at Bayamon (DII)
Puerto Rico at Mayagüez (DII)
Puerto Rico at Rio Piedras (DII)
Thomas More (DII)
Tusculum (DII)
About UC San Diego Athletics
After two decades as one of the most successfulprograms inNCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program has begun a new era asamemberof The Big West inNCAA Division I. The 23-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time inDivisionsIIand III and helped guide1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 84 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 38 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 91 percent, one of the highest rates among institutions at all divisions.For more information on the Tritons, visitUCSDtritons.comor follow UC San Diego Athletics on social media@UCSDtritons.
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