EL CAJON, Calif. -- The only two coaches in Vanguard men's volleyball history met on Friday night for the first time as the Lions traveled to take on UC San Diego.  Former VU skipper Brad Rostratter got his Tritons over the line first against the Lions of Brian Rofer, as UCSD won 25-13, 25-14, and 25-18.  VU falls to 1-1 and UCSD improves to 7-1.
 
The Blue and Gold could not find a flow on offense, as they hit at a .139 rate for the match.  UCSD won all the major team statistical categories on the night, including a 43-23 edge in kills and a 31-17 lead in digs.
 
 
What Happened?  The Tritons collected the first two points before a Sean Nguyen pass netted Grant Dvorak his first kill.  Micah Sybesma then slammed down his first strike to make the score 5-2, but the Tritons kept their lead at five through the middle stages.  Down 13-7, the Lions got a big kill from Phinehas Wiley to keep the gap at five, but a 5-1 stretch for the hosts put UCSD ahead 18-9.  The Tritons outscored Vanguard 7-4 over the final rallies to take set one 25-13.  In the first set, VU hit 0.083 and UCSD had a 12-kill, zero-error performance to own a .632 rate on 19 attempts.
 
The Lions got early strikes in the second set from Dvorak and Sybesma but the squad never led in the middle period.  UCSD held sway by one until the Tritons posted another 5-1 streak to surge ahead 12-7.  VU responded with a similar performance, with Wiley landing two kills, Dvorak sliding in an ace, and Logan Freemon notching a kill.  However, the Lions could not stay in touch, as UCSD took a 13-11 lead and ran away with a 25-14 win in the set.  Vanguard hit .200 and UCSD had a .643 mark, again going perfect with 18 kills and no errors on 28 attempts.
 
The Blue and Gold grabbed their first lead in the match thanks to a kill by Sybesma and an attack error from UC San Diego early in the third (2-1), but the Tritons scored the next four points and never trailed again.  Sybesma was productive in the set, collecting four kills and two blocks.  Wiley had a kill and an ace and Freemon tallied three kills.  VU hit .130 and UCSD had a .348 rate, with 13 kills and five errors as UCSD took the period 25-18.
 
Sybesma led the Lions with seven kills on the night, with Freemon next with six and Wiley netting four.  Nguyen had 10 assists and Brock Henderson had nine, while Nguyen tied Dvorak and Freemon with four digs to pace the lineup.
 
Why is it Important?  VU falls to UCSD for the second time in program history, with the other loss coming on February 8, 2020.  But the Lions do get another chance to get on the board against the Tritons, as Coach Rostratter will make his VU return on February 7.
 
What's Next?  The Blue and Gold will take on UC Merced at home on Thursday, January 30, at 7:00 p.m.