Thursday, April 10
Northridge, Calif.
6:00 p.m.
California State University at Northridge
17-8,2-5Big West
3
vs
2
UC San Diego
17-8,3-4Big West
1
2
3
4
5
F
UC San Diego
25
24
22
25
17
2
CSUN
19
26
25
21
19
3
Photo by: Steve Fitzgerald
Phillips' 27 Kills Lead No. 9 CSUN Past No. 10 UCSD in Five Sets
4/10/2025 10:05:00 PM | Men's Volleyball
NORTHRIDGE, Calif. – Sophomore opposite Jalen Phillips matched his career-high with 27 kills to lead the No. 9 CSUN Men's Volleyball team to a five-set win over 10th-ranked UC San Diego in a Big West match on Thursday at Premier America Credit Union Arena.
With the 19-25, 26-24, 25-22, 21-25, 19-17 win, the Matadors improve to 17-8 overall and 2-5 in the Big West. CSUN is now an even 2-2 this season in five-set matches.
Phillips, who also had 27 kills against Lindenwood on Jan. 18, took a career-high 61 swings against the Tritons while hitting .213 to go with seven digs and a pair of blocks. Freshman Stilian Delibosov added 10 kills on .562 hitting and Hank Kaufman and Shane Nhem each chipped in nine kills. Nhem hit .500 with a team-high four blocks and Kaufman came off the bench to hit a season-high .412 on 17 swings to go with a season-high seven digs.
Behind the first double-double of the season from senior setter Donovan Constable (53 assists-10 digs), CSUN hit .323 (62-21-127) as a team. The Tritons wound up hitting .359 and also posted a 10-6.5 edge in blocks and a 5-4 edge in aces. Behind Constable's 10 digs, the Matadors had 41 team digs to 36 for UCSD.
S1 - UCSD 25, CSUN 21 – Both teams came out swinging in the opening set as the visitors hit .520 to CSUN's .353. After claiming four of the first five points of the set, the Tritons would lead 9-3 forcing a CSUN timeout. UCSD would lead by as many as eight (13-5) before a Joao Avila ace pulled the Matadors within five at 13-8. The Tritons answered with a 4-3 run to extend the lead back to six (17-11) before closing out a 25-19 win.
S2 - CSUN 26, UCSD 24 – After Kaufman opened the second set with a kill, the Tritons scored six straight points before a Phillips kill ended the run. UCSD would hold the lead a majority of the season as the Matadors wouldn't lead again until a Nhem-Constable back gave CSUN a 20-19 edge. An Avila kill set the Matadors up with set point at 24-22 but the Tritons saved a pair of set points before a Phillips kill and a CSUN block evened the match at one set apiece.
S3 – CSUN 25, UCSD 22 - An early kill by Phillips gave the Matadors a 7-3 lead forcing a UCSD timeout. After the Tritons trimmed the lead to 8-6, an Avila kill capped a 3-1 run by the Matadors who led 11-7. A 6-3 run by the visitors pulled the Tritons within one at 14-13 before a Delibosov kill capped a 5-2 CSUN run that put the hosts in front 19-15. Down 23-18, UCSD rallied back to within 24-22 before a Phillips kill closed out a 25-22 victory.
S4 - UCSD 25, CSUN 21 - The Matadors looked to be in good shape, leading 12-9 midway through the fourth set. A Phillips kill kept the Matador lead at two (13-11) and CSUN would maintain the lead until a Phillips hitting error put the Tritons in front 18-17. The Matadors would trail by as many as three in the latter stages before rallying back to within one at 21-20. UCSD would answer with a 4-1 run to send the match to a fifth and deciding set.
S5 - CSUN 19, UCSD 17 - The Tritons opened set five with three straight points and would lead until a Delibosov kill tied the score at 6-6. The Matadors wouldn't take their first lead until a UCSD hitting error put the Matadors in front 8-7. Another kill by Delibosov gave the Matadors their largest lead at 10-8. After the Tritons tied the score, CSUN used another kill by Delibosov who followed with an ace giving CSUN a 12-10 lead. The set would be tied six more times, the last at 17-17 when a kill by Phillips and a Triton hitting error sent the Matadors to the 19-17 win.
HEAD COACH THEO EDWARDS SAID
"These are two teams that are similar in a lot of ways and they just duked it out tonight. I was really impressed with our guys, things didn't always go right but we found a way to win which was really exciting. We're getting better and the composure piece is a big part of that. We're talking about it on the bench and the guys really bought in. UCSD had a couple of opportunities to take the match away from us and I thought our guys fought hard and didn't lose their composure and got the win."
UP NEXT
The same two teams will meet again at LionTree Arena in La Jolla on Saturday. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m.
#GoMatadors
With the 19-25, 26-24, 25-22, 21-25, 19-17 win, the Matadors improve to 17-8 overall and 2-5 in the Big West. CSUN is now an even 2-2 this season in five-set matches.
Phillips, who also had 27 kills against Lindenwood on Jan. 18, took a career-high 61 swings against the Tritons while hitting .213 to go with seven digs and a pair of blocks. Freshman Stilian Delibosov added 10 kills on .562 hitting and Hank Kaufman and Shane Nhem each chipped in nine kills. Nhem hit .500 with a team-high four blocks and Kaufman came off the bench to hit a season-high .412 on 17 swings to go with a season-high seven digs.
Behind the first double-double of the season from senior setter Donovan Constable (53 assists-10 digs), CSUN hit .323 (62-21-127) as a team. The Tritons wound up hitting .359 and also posted a 10-6.5 edge in blocks and a 5-4 edge in aces. Behind Constable's 10 digs, the Matadors had 41 team digs to 36 for UCSD.
S1 - UCSD 25, CSUN 21 – Both teams came out swinging in the opening set as the visitors hit .520 to CSUN's .353. After claiming four of the first five points of the set, the Tritons would lead 9-3 forcing a CSUN timeout. UCSD would lead by as many as eight (13-5) before a Joao Avila ace pulled the Matadors within five at 13-8. The Tritons answered with a 4-3 run to extend the lead back to six (17-11) before closing out a 25-19 win.
S2 - CSUN 26, UCSD 24 – After Kaufman opened the second set with a kill, the Tritons scored six straight points before a Phillips kill ended the run. UCSD would hold the lead a majority of the season as the Matadors wouldn't lead again until a Nhem-Constable back gave CSUN a 20-19 edge. An Avila kill set the Matadors up with set point at 24-22 but the Tritons saved a pair of set points before a Phillips kill and a CSUN block evened the match at one set apiece.
S3 – CSUN 25, UCSD 22 - An early kill by Phillips gave the Matadors a 7-3 lead forcing a UCSD timeout. After the Tritons trimmed the lead to 8-6, an Avila kill capped a 3-1 run by the Matadors who led 11-7. A 6-3 run by the visitors pulled the Tritons within one at 14-13 before a Delibosov kill capped a 5-2 CSUN run that put the hosts in front 19-15. Down 23-18, UCSD rallied back to within 24-22 before a Phillips kill closed out a 25-22 victory.
S4 - UCSD 25, CSUN 21 - The Matadors looked to be in good shape, leading 12-9 midway through the fourth set. A Phillips kill kept the Matador lead at two (13-11) and CSUN would maintain the lead until a Phillips hitting error put the Tritons in front 18-17. The Matadors would trail by as many as three in the latter stages before rallying back to within one at 21-20. UCSD would answer with a 4-1 run to send the match to a fifth and deciding set.
S5 - CSUN 19, UCSD 17 - The Tritons opened set five with three straight points and would lead until a Delibosov kill tied the score at 6-6. The Matadors wouldn't take their first lead until a UCSD hitting error put the Matadors in front 8-7. Another kill by Delibosov gave the Matadors their largest lead at 10-8. After the Tritons tied the score, CSUN used another kill by Delibosov who followed with an ace giving CSUN a 12-10 lead. The set would be tied six more times, the last at 17-17 when a kill by Phillips and a Triton hitting error sent the Matadors to the 19-17 win.
HEAD COACH THEO EDWARDS SAID
"These are two teams that are similar in a lot of ways and they just duked it out tonight. I was really impressed with our guys, things didn't always go right but we found a way to win which was really exciting. We're getting better and the composure piece is a big part of that. We're talking about it on the bench and the guys really bought in. UCSD had a couple of opportunities to take the match away from us and I thought our guys fought hard and didn't lose their composure and got the win."
UP NEXT
The same two teams will meet again at LionTree Arena in La Jolla on Saturday. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m.
#GoMatadors
Team Stats
UCSD
CSUN
Kills
63
62
Errors
17
21
Attempts
128
127
Hitting %
.359
.323
Points
78.0
72.5
Assists
61
59
Aces
5
4
Blocks
10
6.5
Game Leaders
Kills
27
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Kills
10
Aces
1
Blocks
1
Kills
9
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Kills
9
Aces
0
Blocks
4
Players Mentioned
OH
/ Men's Volleyball
S
/ Men's VolleyballMB
/ Men's VolleyballOH
/ Men's VolleyballOPP
/ Men's VolleyballOPP
/ Men's VolleyballCalHOPE Award Nathan Merren
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