The women’s volleyball team recorded its fourth and fifth consecutive victories over the weekend, including what was perhaps the squad’s most comfortable win of the season.
The Tritons rallied to beat San Francisco State on Friday, overcoming a rough first set to win 19-25, 25-22, 25-9 and 25-19. UCSD was then dominant against Cal State Monterey Bay on Saturday, sweeping the Otters with scores of 25-15, 25-14 and 25-17.
“We’re definitely on the rise,” head coach Ricci Luyties said. “Coming back from the injuries that we had, I knew we’d get better, and I think [the players] are starting to believe that too. I think we are a team to be reckoned with now.”
Junior outside hitter Katie Condon and junior Roxy Brunsting led the way against San Francisco State, when Condon had a match-high 16 kills and Brunsting recorded her third consecutive triple double with 10 kills, 26 assists and 14 digs. The Tritons hit just .093 in the first set, but rebounded to hit .298 for the match — their second highest mark this season.
Saturday’s match against Monterey Bay marked the beginning of a stretch in which the Tritons once again play the opponents they lost to during their five-game losing streak earlier in the year. Luyties said he was confident his team is ready to avenge the program’s longest losing streak since 1992.
“We had that five-game stretch where we lost to all these teams, and it was so bitter for us because they were all so close,” Luyties said. “We’re excited about playing them again and we want to get revenge on them. We know we have to win all of them, and I think we’re coming out ready for it.”
The Tritons proved Luyties right in the match against Cal State Monterey Bay, whom UCSD lost to in five sets on Sept. 17. This time, however, the Otters were thoroughly humbled, as the Tritons hit .347 on the match and saw Brunsting record her fourth straight triple double.
“I’m excited that we were ahead of a team the whole game and finished them off,” Luyties said. “It was a three-set victory, and our first where we didn’t let the other team back in it at all, so I’m very happy about that.”
Brunsting had 11 kills, 18 assists and 10 digs, Condon had 10 digs and 14 assists and senior middle blocker Cara Simonsen had a season-high 10 kills for the Tritons.
Simonsen said that the team is different from the one that suffered the five game skid earlier this season.
“The team as a whole is doing really well,” she said. “Our defense has picked up, we’re getting good passes, and Katie [Condon] and Julia [Freidenberg] and all the hitters up front are doing great.”
Luyties echoed Simonsen’s assessment, but maintained that there is still work to do.
“I think they have gelled together in a lot of ways,” Luyties said. “Defensively, they are more aware of where one another are on the court. There have been a few miscommunications in every game, but we’re doing well in that area.”
UCSD is now 12-7 overall and 9-6 in CCAA play. The Tritons have won five straight and are winners of seven of their last eight, but remain in a tie for third in the CCAA standings with seven matches to play.
“I feel we have to win all of our games in conference to have a chance of going to the tournament,” Luyties said.
The Tritons will travel to Hayward on Wednesday to face Cal State East Bay — another team UCSD lost to in five sets in the previous meeting between the squads.
“I haven’t even thought about East Bay yet, just because this weekend was so big for us,” Luyties said. “I’m going to start watching film of them tonight and we’ll prepare for them just like anybody else.”
