The optimism that was present when No. 15 UCSD opened its Mountain Pacific Sports Federation schedule with a victory over USC on Jan. 17 was nowhere to be found in the opening to the second half of the season, as the Tritons dropped consecutive 3-1 matches at home to USC and Pepperdine on March 4 and March 6, respectively. UCSD has now dropped five straight matches, bringing the Tritons to 6-13 overall and 2-11 in the MPSF.
Guardian
After beating USC in both of their most recent meetings dating through last March, UCSD had reason to be confident on its home floor, and the Tritons displayed that confidence in game one. Trailing 24-20, UCSD resiliently grabbed the next four points to level the game. The teams traded points until the Tritons were able to go on a three-point spurt and go up 29-26. With their backs against the wall, the Trojans fought off the first two game points, but after UCSD head coach Ron Larsen called a timeout, his team came back on the court and calmly closed out the game on a kill by senior opposite Jim Waller.
Game two displayed a Triton squad that appeared completely in control, as UCSD marched to a 19-14 lead. However, midway through the game, the tone of the match changed significantly, and the Trojans grabbed momentum that they would not relinquish. With a key five-point run propelling USC, game two went to the Trojans and the match was tied at one game apiece.
Game three was tight early, but USC showed poise down the stretch and pushed the game out of reach to seize control with a 30-24 win. Game four was never close, and a deflated Triton squad was beaten soundly, 30-20.
Larsen declined to comment on the match, which appeared to have been very disappointing to many of the players looking to get back on the winning track.
Freshman setter Brooks Dierdorff had 50 assists in the match, senior middle hitter Kevin Keyser had nine total blocks, and Waller had 19 kills to lead the Tritons.
Two days later, UCSD returned to the court against No. 5 Pepperdine. Coming into the match, the Tritons had never defeated the Waves in MPSF play, and Pepperdine had no intention of dirtying their perfect record against UCSD.
A 15-8 run to open the match gave the Waves all the cushion they would need to grab the first game by a final score of 30-21. Pepperdine out-hit UCSD .259-.067 in game one — numbers both teams would significantly improve upon in game two.
The second frame was a picture of offensive efficiency as the Waves put down 16 kills with just four errors, but the Tritons topped even that with 17 kills and just one error for a .593 attacking percentage. Waller’s six kills paced UCSD to a 30-22 win to even the match.
The Triton bid for an upset was short-lived, since games three and four returned to traditional form with Pepperdine winning 30-21 and 30-24 to take the match by hitting .680 and .531 in the final two frames, respectively
Waller had 20 kills and Dierdorff topped 50 assists for the second straight match with 52.
UCSD closes a four-match homestand March 12 against No. 9 UC Irvine.
