Thursday, March 14
La Jolla, CA
7:00 P.M.
California State University at Northridge
9-9,0-1Big West
1
at
3
UC San Diego
10-10,2-2Big West
1
2
3
4
F
CSUN
25
22
12
22
1
UC San Diego
20
25
25
25
3
Photo by: Steve Fitzgerald
16th-Ranked CSUN Drops Big West Opener at UC San Diego
3/14/2024 9:17:00 PM | Men's Volleyball
LA JOLLA, Calif. – Senior Kyle Hobus put down a match-high 23 kills but the 16th-ranked CSUN men's volleyball team dropped its Big West opener in four sets at No. 18 UC San Diego Thursday night at LionTree Arena.
On a night that saw Hobus become the 15th player in CSUN men's volleyball history to reach 1,000 career kills, the Matadors took the opening set before the host Tritons rallied back to win the final three frames in a 20-25, 25-22, 25-12, 25-22 victory.
With his seventh kill in the opening set, Hobus reached the career milestone as he went on to hit .250 on a season-high 52 attacks. Junior Matteo Salvador added a career-high 12 kills (.375) as he and Hobus combined for 35 of CSUN's 52 kills in the match. Jalen Phillips chipped in six kills (.000) and Lorenzo Bertozzi added four kills (.333) off the bench.
CSUN (9-9, 0-1 Big West) had 52 team kills to UCSD's 39 but the Matadors committed 25 hitting errors to hit .233 for the match. CSUN was also out-blocked (12-5) but did post a 32-29 edge in team digs.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The same two teams will complete the home-and-home series tomorrow night in Northridge at 6 p.m.
#GoMatadors
On a night that saw Hobus become the 15th player in CSUN men's volleyball history to reach 1,000 career kills, the Matadors took the opening set before the host Tritons rallied back to win the final three frames in a 20-25, 25-22, 25-12, 25-22 victory.
With his seventh kill in the opening set, Hobus reached the career milestone as he went on to hit .250 on a season-high 52 attacks. Junior Matteo Salvador added a career-high 12 kills (.375) as he and Hobus combined for 35 of CSUN's 52 kills in the match. Jalen Phillips chipped in six kills (.000) and Lorenzo Bertozzi added four kills (.333) off the bench.
CSUN (9-9, 0-1 Big West) had 52 team kills to UCSD's 39 but the Matadors committed 25 hitting errors to hit .233 for the match. CSUN was also out-blocked (12-5) but did post a 32-29 edge in team digs.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Behind Hobus and Salvador, the Matadors got off to a good start, taking the opening set 25-20. After a Donovan Constable ace gave CSUN an early 4-2 lead, the Matadors would go on a 10-7 run to open up a 14-9 lead. CSUN maintained a five-point lead at 19-14 when the hosts rallied back to within three at 22-19. But a Hobus kill fueled a set-clinching 3-1 run to close the set.
Salvador delivers his 5th kill on set point and #CSUN takes the opening set at UC San Diego 25-20#GoMatadors pic.twitter.com/Rkktw3Z2Nc
— CSUN Men's Volleyball (@CSUNMensVB) March 15, 2024
- After limiting UCSD to a .000 hitting clip in the opening set, the Matadors had trouble stopping the Tritons who hit over .400 in the final three sets. In the second set, neither team led by more than two points until the final margin. Down 22-20, the Matadors used a pair of Hobus kills to knot the score at 22-22. But a CSUN service error, followed by a Matador hitting error, and a UCSD block sent the hosts to the 25-22 win.
- The third set was all UCSD as the Tritons led 8-4 early before an 11-6 run opened up a 19-10 advantage. UCSD would extend the lead to double digits at 21-11 before closing out a 25-12 win.
- After a Bertozzi kill gave CSUN a 1-0 lead in the final set, the Matadors would not lead again. Kills from Hobus and Bertozzi kept CSUN within one at 10-9, when the Tritons outscored the Matadors 8-4 over the next 13 points to lead 18-13. Another Bertozzi capped a 7-2 CSUN run that pulled the Matadors within two at 22-20 before UCSD claimed three of the final five points in a 25-22 win.
The same two teams will complete the home-and-home series tomorrow night in Northridge at 6 p.m.
#GoMatadors
Team Stats
CSUN
UCSD
Kills
52
39
Errors
25
12
Attempts
116
92
Hitting %
.233
.293
Points
62.0
59.0
Assists
51
38
Aces
5
8
Blocks
5
12
Game Leaders
Kills-Aces-Blocks
Kills
23
Aces
1
Blocks
1
Kills
12
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Kills
6
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Kills
4
Aces
1
Blocks
1
Players Mentioned
OH
/ Men's Volleyball
S
/ Men's VolleyballOH
/ Men's VolleyballOPP
/ Men's VolleyballOH
/ Men's VolleyballCalHOPE Award Nathan Merren
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