The Tritons trounced Cal State Dominguez Hills on Friday night, sweeping the season series with the Toros without dropping a set. UCSD then staged a dramatic comeback against Cal State Los Angeles on Saturday, dropping the first two games before storming back for the five-set victory.
Against Dominguez Hills, the Tritons swept the match 3-0 with set scores of 25-13, 25-19 and 25-13. Junior Roxy Brunsting had nine kills and 15 assists while junior Janessa Werhane had 15 digs, as the Tritons dominated the match and limited the Toros to paltry .035 hitting percentage.
Dominguez Hills remained rooted to the bottom of the standings with the loss, falling to 3-22 overall and 2-17 in conference play.
The Tritons faced a much tougher test against Cal State Los Angeles, as the Golden Eagles shot out to an early 2-0 lead with 25-15 and 25-21 victories in the first two sets. UCSD hit just .131 in the first two sets, but came out in the third set determined to extend the match by taking an early 8-3 lead and not looking back. The Tritons won the set 25-14.
The Golden Eagles had a chance to win in the fourth set, as they trailed just 23-24 at the end of the set. But junior Hilary Williamson recorded a kill to win the game and the Tritons forced a fifth set.
In the final stanza, the Tritons trailed early but went on a 6-1 run and hung on for the win.
Williamson was the star of the night for the Tritons, as she sent down a season-high 20 kills in addition to 13 digs. Werhane had a game-high 22 digs, and Brunsting added 11 kills, 27 assists and four blocks.
Cal State Los Angeles fell to 14-10 overall and 11-9 in conference.
The Tritons went to 17-7 overall with the wins, including 14-6 in CCAA play. While Cal State San Bernardino clinched the conference title over the weekend, the Tritons remain in a tie for second place with Cal State East Bay.
The Tritons face two more road games next week, which is the final weekend of the regular season. UCSD will face Cal Poly Pomona and San Bernardino, and victories in both matches would leave the squad with a good chance of receiving a bid to the NCAA Division-II regionals.
