The UCSD men’s volleyball team had a rough time over spring break and finals week.

The Tritons did down two lesser opponents but could not handle schools from their own Mountain Pacific Conference.

The Tritons made mincemeat of New York University, winning 3-1. They also knocked off Quincy University of Illinois, sweeping the squad 3-0.

But against Cal State Northridge, UC Irvine and UC Santa Barbara, UCSD fell in four games to each of the three opponents.

“”Teams in the Mountain Pacific are better,”” said men’s volleyball coach Ron Larsen. “”They all are. Of the 12 teams, 11 are ranked in the top 15. NYU is Division III and not as good. Against NYU we’re on a more level playing field. Against schools such as Pepperdine or Northridge, they have full scholarships. The volleyball is just better.””

It is not as if UCSD just rolled over. Against Pepperdine, UCSD was up 29-25 in the first game before eventually losing 31-29. That set the tone for the rest of the match. UCSD did win the second game, but the first-game loss put them in a hole they could not climb out of.

Unlike Degree antiperspirant, the Tritons seem to come up short when things heat up.

“”We get tight. It’s hard to get over the hump when you haven’t been there,”” Larsen said. “”We should have won that game. Pepperdine picks up its level of play and we need to maintain our level.””

UCSD also lost the first game against Northridge 31-29, digging itself an early hole.

UCSD is now 4-19 overall and 0-15 in the Mountain Pacific. It has four games remaining, all at home. Its next two opponents are powerhouses UC Irvine and UCLA.

“”I would love to win a match in the Mountain Pacific,”” Larsen said. “”The matches against UCI and UCLA will be tough.””

The Tritons’ record may not exactly reflect the skill of the team.

“”This team has played hard,”” Larsen said. “”They are as good a team as UCSD has had.””

Next up for the Tritons is Friday, when they host UCLA at 7 p.m. at RIMAC Arena.